


Counting the Days

by auroraXborealis, bewdofchaos



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Blood and Gore, Dangerous Situations, Drama, F/M, Horror, Kleptoshipping - Freeform, M/M, Thriller, Violence, bamf characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:02:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 59,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auroraXborealis/pseuds/auroraXborealis, https://archiveofourown.org/users/bewdofchaos/pseuds/bewdofchaos
Summary: "They say monsters live under your bed or in your closet.They say monsters are fictitious creatures from books or movies.They say monsters are hungry for blood and violence.But they never said monsters could be human."In the midst of a zombie outbreak, Bakura struggles with his inner demons while trying to catch up with Yugi who suddenly left him behind. On a similar but different path, Jounouchi also fights his own battles as he looks for a safe spot for him and his partner. Over the course of one week, they will both find unlikely traveling companions and face the reality that there is more than one kind of monster in this new world order.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler & Mutou Yuugi, Yami Bakura & Kujaku Mai | Mai Valentine, Yami Bakura/Mutou Yuugi
Comments: 109
Kudos: 19





	1. Cause and Effect

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, Pants/bewdofchaos here!
> 
> “Hey, I’m here too, just letting the partner do the talking. Keep going!”
> 
> Hah, alright! This collaborative piece was born out of our shared love for the spookiest season of the year and despite our initial attempts to make it a smaller thing, we ended up concocting a potent witches’ brew that will give you a trick or a treat each and every day leading up to Halloween! We wanted to try something out of our comfort zones and pay homage to genres we both adore…
> 
> “Also, we would like to say how much pleasure we had both writing and editing this together! We got distracted a lot, but we realised we made a pretty darn good team. So be on the lookout for more collabs from us, it might become a trend, who knows? We’ve officially dubbed ourselves Hivemind Productions hehehe!”
> 
> I can speak on behalf of my partner-in-crime Aurora when I say that we are more than thrilled to share Counting the Days with you. Now follow us this way and watch your step…

If anyone were to ask how it all started, no one could say with certainty. Everyone could recall where they were when it was revealed, what they were doing the moment everything went down into chaos, and who they reached for when the world started ending.

The main rumour was that scientists had once again tried to play God and had created something beyond their wildest imagination. Something they could not fully understand, and therefore, something that they could not control at all. And like all things uncontrollable, it had escaped the confines of the lab it had been created in. Had it found a way to bypass the strong barriers keeping it imprisoned? Or perhaps someone had freed it voluntarily? No one would ever know except the person responsible, if that was the case. After all, some greedy millionaire might have offered a scientist a hefty sum of money for a new formula that could provide an edge to a future biochemical war.

The first recorded case appeared in Tokyo. The doctors could not even begin to comprehend the link between the symptoms of strong fever, convulsions and bloody vomiting that had presented in the person referred to as Patient Zero. However, it only took a couple of hours for others to show the same symptoms and for the infection to spread. Quickly, the hospital was quarantined, but it was already too late.

Japan was closed off to the rest of the world, left on its own to deal with the alarming and growing situation. They tried to reach to their allies for help, their pleas falling on deaf ears that were already too afraid to get involved. The main cities were touched first, and although authorities tried to keep everything under control, they failed miserably.

It took barely three weeks for the whole country to collapse under swarms of flesh-hungry undead creatures that fell like flies as humans, but rose from the ground like monsters, devouring every living creature around them. Domino City was soon hit too, being a large city near the sea, surrounded by other small suburban areas.

Three months after it had all started, the hordes of zombies had suffered losses on their side too. People retaliated, finding ways to protect themselves and also hamper the undead hoards hunting them down. Groups had formed, from small duos to large dozens, some of them surviving long enough to barricade themselves into reinforced buildings they had claimed as bases. In a desperate scramble for supplies, some humans even started killing their own, scavenging what they could, all in the means of survival.

And some others held on to their humanity because that is what made them different from the monsters they were battling.

Undead monsters.

Human monsters.

Inner monsters.


	2. First day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that wanders_

Bakura grunted and pulled at his restraints again. He needed to get out of here fast, way faster than he was currently making progress on. His senses were overwhelmed as his mind and his ears kept on replaying the last few definite sounds he had heard.

The click of the handcuff.

The locking of the door.

The hurried footsteps.

The bolting of the entrance.

And then silence.

Very heavy silence.

He eyed the key on the floor close to his foot, but not close enough to catch just yet. He knew he needed a bit more strength to pull the heavy filing cabinet he was attached to. And the other had known that too. He had known that chaining him up would delay his pursuit just long enough for him to be out of sight… but not out of mind.

He smashed his head against the metal surface of the furniture, his short white hair tickling his face, and let out a few chosen curse words into the air. “Fuck this shit!”

His fist connected with the filer repeatedly, over and over again, until his knuckles started to bleed, but even then, he did not stop. He screwed his eyes closed in anger, and if anyone else had been in the room with him, they might have noticed the tears pooling in his them before he wiped them away furiously.

“Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Fuck you, Yugi!”

_ Bakura was already awake when Yugi bolted up from the camp bed, sucking in a breath and sweating. He had been working on some mechanical device that could trigger the door at the entrance of their compound to unbolt if they ever needed to rush back inside without wanting to fuss with the very complicated lock he has fastened on it. _

_ “You okay?” he asked, already knowing the answer. _

_ Yugi simply took deep breaths in and out, before nodding. He was far from okay, and Bakura knew it. These last few days had been harder on both of them and they would soon need to head out on a supply run to refill their stocks. _

_ And supply runs were harder since… well, since it was just the two of them now. _

_ Yugi pushed back his hair and looked at him. “You’re early at work, I see?” _

_ “You know me. Gotta keep busy.” he replied. _

_ The shorter boy got up and pushed aside the sleeping bag he had previously been occupying before pulling a large sweater over his head, and drawing work boots over his tattered wool socks. He took his baseball bat adorned with a thick metal rusty chain fastened with oversized nails from where it had been laying next to his bed and placed it back against a wooden crate he then used for a seat. _

_ Bakura tried to hide it, but his hands started shaking violently and he dropped the device he had been working on. He quickly picked it up with nimble fingers, but even with all of his might, he could not stop them from shaking. He could feel the sweat building on his brow, but chose to ignore it as well. His companion, however, did not. _

_ A hand landed on his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Did you eat yet?” _

_ Bakura flipped his wrist to get rid of the tender touch. “What does it matter?” _

_ Yugi sighed and got up from his seat, starting to rummage into the boxes in the corner of the room. “You know you have to eat first thing when you get up.” _

_ The white-haired man put down his device and also got up, but his combat boots slipped on the concrete floor and he lost his footing, forcing him to grab onto the wall for support. His vision blurred for a moment and faster than he thought possible, two arms were holding him, one around his waist and the other draping his own on pale shoulders. Before Yugi could say anything, Bakura felt the need to reassure him, mostly because he did not want the other to patronize him. _

_ “I’m okay,” he offered, the dizziness slowly fading. _

_ The hand around his waist tightened. “No, you’re not. You’re shaking.” _

_ Bakura glanced sideways and met the worried purple gaze. “I just need to eat. Hand me a cracker or something.” _

_ Yugi helped him sit back down, making sure his back was solid against the wall so he would not tilt and fall. His head was still pulsating, and he knew the exact reason why, but he could not tell the other about. Because knowing him, the squirt would end up doing something stupid and dangerous once he found out. _

_ He was so focused on keeping his balance even as he sat down that he did not notice it took a bit too long for Yugi to actually hand him something to eat. He heard the voice coming from the other side of the room, but the smaller man was hidden behind the tower of crates and boxes. _

_ “How long?” his voice resonated, emotionless. _

_ Bakura laid his head against the wall behind and sighed, trying to process the question. “What are you talking about?” _

_ He heard the heavy footsteps as Yugi appeared in front of him, a box of cheese crackers in one hand and a small familiar black travel case in the other. “How long have you been out?” he asked, his eyes wide. _

_ The other gulped, but shook his head dismissively in the hopes of avoiding a confrontation. He held his hand towards the purple-haired man. “Yugi, just hand me the crackers, alright?” _

_ Yugi’s posture became distressed and his tone shifted promptly. “I said, HOW LONG?” _

_ There was a long pause in which they both started at each other, breathing heavily, no one offering anything to the other. Bakura knew this moment would come, Yugi was a clever little shit who would notice the change quicker than anybody, but he had hoped he would be able to control his reactions until the next supply run. _

_ His gaze hardened even more as he finally answered. “Three days.” _

_ Yugi let out a few curse words, dropping both the case and the box of crackers, preferring to grab fistfuls of his own hair instead. “And it hasn’t crossed your mind to tell me?!” _

_ Bakura closed his eyes, distancing himself from the emotions that were also surfacing in him. “What good would that have done, huh? You’d still be yelling at me!” _

_ He sensed the other kneel in front of him as two small hands came to rest on his chest none too gently. “We could have gone out there to find some!” _

_ He extended a hand to push his companion away, but did so much more gently than anyone could ever expect of him. “We’ll do that in a couple of days, on the supply run.” _

_ There was another long pause and Bakura opened his eyes to see if Yugi was still there in the room. He was seated a few inches in front of him, but his eyes kept betraying the inner shifting of his emotions. When he noticed the other looking at him, his gaze became neutral before he closed his eyes again, as if closing a door behind which he hid. _

_ “You’re right,” he said, sounding defeated. “I just… I’ll check if we have some more appropriate stuff for you in the other room.” _

_ And without another word, he stood up and left. The white-haired man sighed again, pushing a nervous hand through his now short hair. He had cut them a few years ago, right under his ears, and now, they hand grown back barely long enough to tight into the tiniest ponytail he could manage. He knew he was going to get another earful once he was feeling better. Yugi might even punch him, actually, he probably would just slap him in the back on the head, but still, he would retaliate out of irritation. Yugi had never hesitated in doing so before, and Bakura had surprisingly never done anything about it. He snickered at the thought. He deserved it most of the time, but since when had Yugi been allowed to harp on him like that? _

_ Since when had Yugi snaked his way into his life enough to be his annoying little supporter? _

_ And why was Yugi talking so long? _

_ Even though he knew that the other probably just needed some time and room to breathe, which they were given very little in their current situation, he still decided to go see him. There even was an underlying notion of apology that lingered in the back of his mind, and he mentally cursed at his own brain. _

_ When he finally found him in one of the three main rooms they used in their defensive hideout, all notion of apology disappeared. Yugi was standing with a backpack on his back, a canister of water tied to it, his trusty crossbow in his hands and an impressive amount of bolts in a quiver strapped around his hip. On his bag he had fasted his baseball bat which Bakura had not even seen him take as he had previously left the room. _

_ He demanded the obvious. “What are you doing?” _

_ Yugi stood his ground and did not even budge when he saw him there. “You already know.” _

_ Bakura came closer to him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward with brute force. “And I can’t let you do that.” _

_ Yugi did not try to pull away. Instead, his eyes found Bakura’s dark brown ones and held their gaze. The intensity in them almost made the other flinch and his grip on the wrist loosened. Yugi took the few seconds he was given and placed both of his palms on the white-haired man cheeks in such a tender way Bakura thought he stopped breathing for a moment. _

_ Yugi closed his eyes and dived in, pressing his lips against the others, pouring affection into the meaningful gesture. Bakura could not help but also close his eyes, and his hands dropped around the slender waist in front of him, his digits squeezing them briefly, unsure of how to process what was currently happening. _

_ His mind screamed at him two very different things. It wanted him to enjoy this because he honestly had hoped for something to happen. He had regretted his actions once upon a much simpler time, and had wanted Yugi in a way he should not. But it also warned him, like a sixth sense, that something awfully wrong was at play here. _

_ He heard the click and felt the enclosing of a metal bracelet both at the same time as Yugi ended the kiss softly. _

_ “And I’m not giving you a choice.” he whispered against his lips. _

_ The purple-eyed man took a step back and once again, his eyes spoke volumes. They were painted with a mix of sadness and resignation, but there was also a veil of something else across them, something Bakura had seen there before, but had always refused to acknowledge. _

_ He looked down to see that Yugi had handcuffed him to the large metal filing cabinet next to them and felt panic rise inside him. So he turned to the only emotion he knew how to project. _

_ “Don’t you dare!” he growled angrily. “Don’t you fucking dare leave!” _

_ Yugi stepped out of his reach and towards the door, each of his steps sounding much too final for his taste. He saw that Yugi was holding a tiny metal key between his fingers. _

_ “I’m sorry.” _

_ A step back. _

_ “I really am.” _

_ Another one. _

_ “Yugi, give me the fucking key!” Bakura hissed. _

_ One more. _

_ “I’ll be back in a week, tops. I promise. Just wait for me here.” _

_ The words were meant to be reassuring, but they were no help at all. The captive man pulled on his wrist so hard the metal started to dig in his skin, the metal cabinet barely budging from all his effort. Yugi bent down and delicately put the key on the floor, completely out of reach from the other at the moment. _

_ When he stood back up, a tear had escaped from his left eye, drawing a line in the perpetual grime on his face. Framed by the door, he looked straight at the friend he had just trapped against his will. And the words he spoke were so heavy they could be felt. _

_ “I need you to know something, alright. This was never about my image. This was always about you. It’s been about you for a while, and I need you to understand that.” _

_ Bakura was so lost in them and all this confusing moment that he never even thought about grabbing Yugi as this one ran towards him and closed the distance between them, his lips once again finding his in a searing embrace before he let go, his forehead leaning on the other’s for barely more than a second. _

_ “Just… I love you, okay?” _

_ And he bolted out the door, locking it behind him. _

***

The snap of a dry twig beneath his boot rang out like a gunshot through the still morning air. Jounouchi Katsuya fought back a flinch at the loud noise, forcing himself to keep his eyes wide open and trained on the half dead trees spanning as far as he could see. He should have watched where he was walking. Loud noises were never a good thing nowadays. You never knew who it could attract. Or what.

The wind started to kick up again, passing through the forest relatively unimpeded by the sparse foliage still clinging to the trees’ branches. Unleashing a huff of irritation at the sudden chill, Jou pulled the collar of his fleece lined canvas jacket towards his ears to try to stave off the stiff breeze. He needed to keep moving, both to stay warm and, more importantly, to get the hell out of here.

When he had walked into this forest yesterday morning, he had expected it to takeunder a day to cross. He wanted to find the small town on the other end, and from what he could gather, cutting through the forest rather than walking down the highways was the quickest and safest route. Although, nothing seemed to be going as planned. Somewhere in the process, he had gotten turned around. After twelve hours of stomping through the mostly dead foliage and cursing the forest’s very existence, he had finally decided to rest and set up camp for the night.

In preparation to sleep, he had made sure to climb up high enough in a tree to set up his makeshift hammock, but even with the fifteen feet of buffer between him and the horrors below, he could not get even an hour of rest. It had been one of the coldest nights he could remember and his nerves were strung tight, so wound he could practically feel them vibrate.

Even worse than the cold, he had to spend the night alone. Again.

Being alone was the worst. The absolute worst. He thought he was going to die alone in that sleeping bag last night. If not from the cold or the potential fall, then definitely from the isolation. The horrible and overwhelming loneliness of isolation.

Ever since the apocalypse had started, he had his partner at his side, but in order for them to thrive, they needed to split up to cover more ground and find resources. The decision to divide and conquer was nearly a week ago, and now, Jou was certain this was not the best idea.

Even though he still thought it was one of the dumbest ideas ever propositioned to him, he knew that they needed to take this risk. They had to cover more ground and secure their safety by establishing a new home base. Wandering endlessly as a pair in the world as it was now was not a good idea. That’s how people died. Before the lack of food or sleep got you, another threat would steal you away into the final night. If you walked around for long enough, the walkers would get to you.

“Fucking forest.” Jou muttered as he glowered at the dead trees just beyond him. “Fucking zombies.”

He passed by a tree that was almost in shambles. It had been nearly torn to shreds, bark shorn in jagged lines of rust. The dried blood tracks ended at its base, the nails and hand which had made them resting amongst the leaves, severed and alone.

Just like he was. Just like he felt. So very much.

He scoffed at the intrusive thought. He could do this. No sweat! And besides, now was not the time to get homesick. He needed to find a base. How hard could it be to find a base? Now that nearly ninety percent of their world population had gone the way of the dodo bird, there had to be some place nearby that was unoccupied and protectable from those damned creatures. He just needed to find that town and hope it had not been ransacked like Domino City had.

Domino City was where they had started. They had lived there together before the madness that was this plague, virus, apocalypse or whatever had started. Before the world went to hell in a handbasket. It was days like today where he was chilled to the bone, feet sore against the soles of his boots and his clothing reeking like a man who had never known a shower that he wished for it all to end. He just wanted rest. To see his friends. Even to work… he had to admit that his last job at the TV station was not all bad.

Jou adjusted the strap of his pack as he stepped around the rotting hand. At an earlier point, he would have nearly hurled at the terrifying sight if the smell did not get to him first. No more. It did not even phase him anymore. He would gladly kill every single one of those things. Even though they had once been human, they definitely were not anymore. There was absolutely nothing human about a creature that only had the one simple desire to eat you.

Although, there was one thing about that zombie hand that was undeniably terrifying. 

Where was its body? It had to be around here somewhere. And if it was… how big was its horde? There was no such thing as a single, solitary zombie. Never. They always traveled in tight swarms, moving across the landscape acquiring new members and leaving carnage in their wake. That carnage usually pertained to vessels too ravaged after their meal to even rise again as undead. There was no way this zombie could be alone… and this meant that this place was not safe.

“Where are your buddies, ya bastard?” Jou shot a glare at the lifeless hand. Of course, it did not respond.

“Alright, pick it up, Jou. Ya can’t stay here.” He muttered to himself as he continued on in what he hoped was north. Some time ago, he had started losing faith in that small compass that came with the survival kit he had lifted from the hardware store when they had first set out. That kit nearly cost him three fingers, but he was glad he had taken that risk. It had been exceedingly useful, except for this stupid compass. It could go right to hell.

Hopefully making a beeline though these woods was a good risk too.

Jou wandered ‘north’ for what felt like hours. As the rays of sun started to slant, stretching the already ominous shadows of the forest even further at Jou’s feet, he realized that there was little chance he was going to make it to the town tonight. He shook his head in irritation. Nothing was ever as easy as it should be. Not anymore. Despite the predominance of his annoyance, he came to realize one other imperative thing.

He was not alone.

***

Bakura’s wrist was raw, the skin reddened from his struggling. The metal filer had only moved by a few inches, not enough to reach the key yet. In his haste to get free, he had only thought about moving the filer, but now, he realised emptying it first would serve to be more helpful. He tugged the drawers open, the locks having been already broken long ago. With only one hand to properly take the contents and throw them out, he made progress as rapidly as he could, testing the weight of the filing cabinet every few seconds until he was finally able to pull himself closer to the key and capture it under his boot.

He grabbed it and made quick work of his restraint, wrenching the handcuff away from his abused wrist like if it was on fire. Yugi had also locked the door from the outside, but it only took Bakura a few seconds to open it, his lock picking skills were very much on point. Yugi knew this, of course, and had certainly used this tactic to put the brakes on the white-haired man following him. He eyed the room before grabbing one of their stocked rifles with ammunition, as well as an iron golf club and went back to the other room where his backpack waited for him, already packed and ready, as he always kept it in case they had to run out of there for any reason. That was also probably why it had not taken that much time for Yugi to get ready behind his back and set his trap in motion. He also reached for his own preferred weapon, a heavy-duty crowbar he kept next to his camp bed.

As he made for the entrance, he suddenly stopped short right in front of the door.

_ “Just wait for me here.” _

Yugi’s voice echoed in his mind, and then the feelings of his lips against his made him touch his mouth, his fingers grazing at the chapped dried skin. He punched the bolted door in front of him. How could he do that to him? How could he ask him to wait behind while he risked his life out there for something that he was not even responsible for? He should have been the one looking for his own medication, and in a moment of weakness, he had let the other slip away so easily it twisted his insides.

He opened the door to the unfriendly outside world waiting for him, a heavy fog lingering in the air. The lock automatically clicked back into place as he closed it behind him, ensuring their hideout stayed untouched while they were both out in the deserted wasteland of Domino City and its surroundings.

A feeling of dread ate away at his insides. He feared they would never set foot back inside, that they would never feel the safety of those concrete walls protecting them from the monsters out there. In the last few months, they had faced their share of the undead and had fought against them, learning to defend each other’s backs at all times. And now, he felt utterly alone travelling in the eerie quiet morning hours.

He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. Yugi would have headed straight for the nearest drug store or hospital looking for the medication for sure. He remembered raiding most of the drug stores in the city on their supplies run before, and he knew that they had been nearly depleted of their resources and medications, so he knew for a fact his friend would be heading elsewhere then.

With his crowbar in hand, he dipped through a hidden opening in the fence surrounding their bunker and he started jogging towards Domino City hospital, which was right on the edge of city limits. They avoided the city at all cost, which was why their own base was hidden from view in an old abandoned power plant.

They had taken a wild guess by running away from Domino as soon as the chaos started happening. They had opted for camping out in the forests around the city at the beginning, sleeping tied up in trees. Back then, their little group had consisted of four members. This group had lasted a long time together, before shit had hit the fan. They had stumbled upon the secluded plant a few months after it had stopped working completely; rumour had it that the infection had spread inside and that it turned rapidly into a blood fest. When they had explored the area, they found scattered bodies in various states of decay but no more zombies. Those fiends had probably left due to lack of fresh food after a while.

He took one last look behind him before speeding up his pace.

Going inside the hospital was a risky move, even for a somewhat experienced fighter like him. He had had his share of fist fights and had learned to fend for himself at a very young age. However, fighting humans was nothing like fighting zombies, although to him, there were monsters on both sides of mortality. Domino had long been run over by different gangs who claimed parts of the city as their own turf, ruling the streets as if they were immortals.

But everyone stayed away from the hospital in fear of what was hiding behind those too many closed doors. They feared the virus was alive, that it would attack you as soon as you stepped foot inside. They feared the zombies that were caged in the basement, waiting for the scent of human flesh passing through the doors to feed. They feared the gods themselves that had gone to abandon anyone who had dared cross these doors.

Bakura pushed his own fear down, because right now, the only thing he feared was that Yugi had decided to go inside this place like the fool he was. He entered through the main entrance, which was perpetually open, taunting passersby to explore its tainted bowels. The high noon sun partially hiding behind the clouds completely disappeared, allowing the shadows to completely envelop the empty hallways that had seen hell.

He carefully walked around, avoiding the broken glass, scattered medical equipment and the occasional rotting corpse on the ground. His ears were perked, straining to make out any sounds as he mentally photographed his path through the hospital, mapping his emergency exit route in case he needed to run out of there.

There seemed to be absolutely no sign of any recent passage, and he did not know whether to feel relieved that Yugi had been smart enough to avoid the hospital, or disappointed that his search had led him nowhere.

That’s when he heard it. The distinctive sound of footsteps echoing in a corridor ahead. He strapped his crowbar onto his backpack as silently as he could and ducked into a tricky vantage point, his rifle aimed at the intersection where the two hallways met.

He saw the weapon before the actual person holding it, a large machete with dried dark blood on its sharp edges. His finger did not leave the trigger as the other intruder turned the corner.

“I know you’re there, and I’d like to stay alive for another day if you get my drift.”

The voice was assured and steady, an impressive feat considering the situation they were in. It belonged to a tall blond woman, her hair pulled into a messy bun, her body clad in ripped jeans much like his, leather boots, a dirty t-shirt half-hidden under a ragged army green parka, the hood adorned with what possibly used to be fur. He could see the edge of a shotgun peeking over her shoulder from her backpack, but just the fact that she held her machete with an expert ease told him she had survived and handled her own in a few fights.

“Now, are you gonna come out or do I have to smoke you out like a rabbit?”

He was closer than she had probably anticipated because she jumped slightly when he held the barrel of his rifle directly to the back on her neck. He came out of hiding as she walked past him, camouflaged in the shadows.

“Now, who’s the puny prey, huh?” Bakura replied.

Both were a bit too preoccupied by the other as familiar grunts came from deeper into the building.

“Fuck.” They both let out in unison as the blonde woman glanced back into the chocolate irises glaring back at her. They both held their breath, completely unsure about their next move.

And the grunts got closer.

***

The first noise to reach his ear was a snap. A simple snap. Then another one sounded. The snaps were joined by low, faint rumbles that rattled his teeth. There they were. The other ones.

Jou spun on his heel to see the horde of the undead just as they started to push through the trees at the limits of his vision. The shuffle of their uncoordinated feet in the roughage was joined by guttural groans that would make even the most hardened fighters take pause. At first, Jou counted only five heads. Easy. He could take down five zombies half asleep, no problem. Mere seconds later, the groans multiplied as the initial scouts were joined by at least a dozen more.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Jou muttered under his breath.

He needed to plan his next move, and fast. Really, there were a few things that he could do in this situation. First to come to mind would be to stay and fight. This option was the by far the most innate choice for him, but by far the most moronic. Even before the world descended into chaos, he had often resorted to scraps and other physical means to deal with his problems. In this new world, however, he learned that this hands-on approach could be potentially disastrous and fatal. That still did not stop him from the occasional no-holds barred, all out battle with the undead. 

However, with this many zombies approaching, the only way he could fight them off single handedly would be for him to set a trap. Then as they were slowed, he could pick them off with his rifle from a distance. This plan was not feasible, though. It would take too much time to initiate. It was exceedingly frustrating, as he would love nothing more than to give these bastards a piece of his mind and a mouthful of metal. But charging into this battle alone, with only an axe in hand was brainless. He had seen people die this way. People who…

Jou could not let this line of thought go any further. He knew from experience that it would only lead him to a rough place and likely make him prime zombie chow. There were more important things he needed to deal with. Such as figuring out how he could keep his brain inside his skull for at least one more day. Despite the temptation to take matters into his own hands, he knew this was absolutely not the time.

Making a beeline through the trees off to his right, Jou started to make his way up the sloping hill. Hopefully they had not fully registered his presence yet, and by splitting off from the general direction of where the zombie horde was heading, he would buy himself a few moments of safety. Also, by going towards higher ground, he may be able to find somewhere safe for the night. But even with the prospect of safety that this higher ground brought, the thought of spending another night in this damn forest made him want to lose his mind.

His heavy boots struggled to gain purchase on the loose twigs and rocks, but eventually his hard work paid off. He crested the hill and was met by the sight of the half dead woods sprawling beneath him. The forest was much larger than he had initially thought it would be. It seemed to sprawl off to touch the horizon in every direction except one: straight ahead. Along that aspect of the horizon, he could just make out a couple dilapidated rooftops, indistinct brick chimneys crumbling under the elements and the oppressive pressures of the world. If he had kept along the same line he was initially going on, he would have definitely missed that town.

“I knew that compass was a piece of shit.” Joey griped. He pulled the offending device out of his pocket, and with a wind-up that would make a professional baseball pitcher jealous, he catapulted it into the forest below.

As he watched the cursed instrument fall to its resting place, he noticed that the tremble of the trees, steady and unperturbed by the unexpected projectile. The trembles were almost linear in their orientation, easily demarcating the path taken by the zombies to Jou’s eye. They were staying on their original trajectory, toward the ‘north’, which actually turned out to be east. This was too damn confusing. Jou wished that Google Maps was still a thing. So many problems could be solved if the Internet was back up and running. Society was a long way from having such a luxury again. First, the basics like electricity and running water needed to be reclaimed, if that ever happened. 

The setting sun breached briefly through the clouds, bathing the world momentarily in an amber glow, a beauty unbefitting of the world as it was now. The glow reminded him that it would be dark soon. He needed to set up for the night. Thankfully, there were a few sturdy trees scattered along the ridge that were perfect for setting up his makeshift hammock, up and far away from the prying hands and teeth he had been working so hard to avoid every single day for the last few months.

With one last look at the forest he would need to tackle again tomorrow, Jou turned around to find his new nest for the night. He passed by several trees until he found exactly what he was looking for. Looming in front of him was a tall oak with several thick branches reaching towards the sky, several of which were at least ten feet above the ground. Jou fought back a whoop of excitement. This hunt had much easier than he thought it would be! He had a safe spot to rest. But just as he tossed his pack down at the base of the tree, he heard an unexpected sound.

A twig snapping.

His heart rate skyrocketed as he froze momentarily. All of his attention was pulled towards his ears. Maybe he would end up being the luckiest human in the world and it would turn out to be an animal? Hell, he knew this was wishful thinking, most of the native animals had become meals for hungry survivors and undead alike. Or maybe they had fled to safer habitats, being much more predacious and smarter than those hunting them. Wherever those safer habitats were, he wished he knew… if they even existed anymore.

Another snap.

Jou gritted his teeth, his hand instinctively going to his axe. One snap could be incidental, a non-starter, but a second one? That could not be just a casual occurrence, it could only mean bad news. As he spun around to face the source of the noise, he scolded himself for letting his guard down. Those bastards always seemed to attack whenever you were least expecting it.

Snap. Snap. Footfalls now rung through the bushes, getting louder by the second. Jou’s grip on the worn wooden handle of his axe tightened. He still could not see the walker or the one thing causing all that fuss. As he scanned the trees, a small thud sounded, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

Maybe he should high tail it again, being reasonable and thoughtful still, but before he could make up his mind, it was made up for him. A humanoid form rounded a tree not ten feet away for him.

“Alright, ya asked for it.” Jou’s threat was nearly a growl. Finally allowing his instincts to take over, he rushed headstrong into battle. With all of his might, he swung his axe towards the torso of the walker, but to his surprise, it dodged the blow with relative ease. And coordination. It should not have been able to do that.

“W-Wait!” another voice cut through the dusk.

It was too late, Jou had already pivoted for another attack. He turned the axe in his palm, sweeping it upwards with a wide arc towards the intruder’s head. A small yelp rang out, and his adversary fell backwards on the dead leaves below, a clumsy last ditch dodge by a man caught unprepared for this whole encounter.

“STOP! I’m not one of them!” his adversary cried, his voice cracking at the word ‘them’. “Hear me out!”

“No way!” Jou growled, hefting his axe in front of him. “No can do. Ya not being one of  _ them _ is even worse, ya know.”

The partially silhouetted form of the man sitting amongst the leaves held up his hands. “I swear I’m not here to loot or kill you!”

Jou knew better than to believe those words, people would say anything to avoid being killed. He was not born yesterday. “Why the fuck would I believe ya? That’s all people seem to do nowadays. The dead, I can deal with. They’re fucking predictable, they will eat ya or kill ya, that’s it! The living however…”

“Do you really think I would try to kill you? It’s just me out here…” The man’s erratic hair seemed to quiver.

“I’ve been almost killed by dumber things.” Jou raised his axe a little further to indicate his resolve.

“I understand, I really do.” The words were pressured, pouring off the man’s tongue like water from a broken dam. “If I were you, I’d think the same thing. You can’t be too careful. But I… please don’t kill me.” There was a short pause filled with a poignant hesitation before he continued. “There’s someone counting on me.”

“Hah! So ya are working with someone!” Jou’s triumphant cry rang through the trees. “You’re a shitty liar.”

The man on the forest floor winced at his words. “You’re right, I’ve got someone out there. But he’s… he’s not here. He’s sick and I left him back at our camp. I’m trying to find medicine for him. We ran out several days ago and if we don’t get it soon…”

The man’s words trailed off in a worried sputter. His shoulders seemed to fall during his explanation, tugged back towards the earth by the gravity of the situation. Jou may be hardened, a true survivor and warrior, but the image of a man unraveling in front of him, descending into despair, caused him to feel something he had not felt in a while. One of the most dangerous feelings one could have in this harsh new world.

Empathy.

The very word etched itself into his mind, so poisonous as he had been recently taught, but also so very human, filled with a warmth he had not felt in weeks.

What if his partner needed something life saving like this? What if he was the man among the leaves, pleading for his life to be spared as someone towered over him with his life in his hands? He would be terrified. Broken. The axe lowered incrementally.

Jou was not a monster, but sometimes, he wondered if he was somehow slowly becoming one. This world, the danger from the living and the dead alike could change a person, any person really. It formed callouses along your soul, protective and imperative for survival. Those trenches allowed you to do what needed to be done. These same defense mechanisms, however, inevitably stripped people of their own humanity, allowed them to maim and kill in the name of preservation, of both self and of those they loved. It blurred the lines between human and monster, making it difficult to distinguish which was which.

As he looked into those fearful, yet resolute amethyst eyes, Jou asked himself an important question: on what side of that blurred line did he truly want to stand?

Silence. Neither of the men moved for several seconds. Suddenly, the axe came down.

The blade buried itself in the ground beside the man’s knee. The intruder’s eyes widened at the display, but quickly reverted, drifting up to meet his own.

“Don’t make me regret this,” the blond growled almost in defeat.

“Thank you,” the man at his feet breathed out, sincere gratitude washing over his words.

Without really being able to explain why exactly he did it, he extended a hand to help the other up. “I’m Jou. Who are you?”

His hand was accepted, not without a slight delay. “My name is Yugi. Yugi Muto.”


	3. Second day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that gnaws_

Despite Jou’s lingering suspicions about the stranger, the next morning came without incident. It was a relief to see that his pack remained untouched and all of his limbs were all safely attached to his body. Although, this one night of safety did not mean much in the scheme of things. To his eye, his choice could still prove to be a grave mistake. He laid in his makeshift hammock up in the large oak tree for a couple more moments, savoring the warmth in his sleeping roll as he took in the pale sky. At least in one way, today should be easier. He now had a sure fire plan to get to the town he had been trying to find, and with any luck, there would be something suitable for a base there.

Well, there was no time like the present to go check it out.

As Jou started extricating himself from his cocoon and disassembling his hammock, he heard a rustle from below. His new traveling companion stirred in his own nest, a pair of purple eyes peeking out of the sleeping roll to blink blearily in his direction. Jou merely stared back.

Even though he could tell from their brief conversation last night that this man seemed to bear the same marks of a survivor he had, there was a certain softness in his gaze that betrayed him. That sort of vulnerability was dangerous and could get you killed. And Jou did not like feeling vulnerable at all, least of all hanging with someone who could make him feel that way.

Whoever needed this medication must be really important to him. Why else would a person be willing to risk life and limb for someone else? Although he would never admit it, Jou knew that feeling all too well. He would do anything for his partner, like agreeing to divide and conquer to find a permanent shelter at the potential expense of their safety. 

“Good morning,” came the murmur from his companion, his voice as thick as his gaze with sleep.

“Morning. Get ya ass in gear, we need to get going before something decides to try to eat us.” Jou made a motion towards his half stowed pack.

A beat hung between the two, and for a moment, he wondered if Yugi was going to object. It seemed like something he would do, but as quickly as the doubt flashed across the man’s irises, it left, leaving a benign look in its place.

“Sounds like a good idea. Where were you planning to go?” Yugi responded evenly as he started extricating himself from his swaddle.

Jou kept packing up without looking at him, not thinking about the words coming out of his mouth. “Towards that town over there. I think it’s got something we need.”

“‘We?’” Yugi looked up from his pack perplexed.

“ _ I _ . I said I, do ya need your hearing checked?” Jou rolled his eyes in irritation. 

His companion fell silent for a moment as he fished out a red, orange and cream Peruvian toque out of his pack. With some maneuvering, he somehow managed to stuff his unruly hair into it, the earflaps and their braided strings neatly falling on the sides, leaving his golden bangs springing forth to frame his face. Only after the toque had been donned did the man respond, his voice unperturbed. “Well, funny you should say that, that’s where I’m going as well.”

Jou stopped rolling up his bag in order to shoot Yugi a look. Really? What were the chances that some guy showed up right where he was going to set up camp for the night, then said he was heading to the same place? He could not help but wonder if Yugi was selling him a story. It seemed too fishy, too coincidental. Then again…towns had pharmacies and maybe he was heading in this direction to find that medication. That would make some sense, and sure enough, that was the explanation Yugi had begun to offer.

“My map says that this town has a pharmacy.” Yugi explained as he pulled on his fleece lined black denim jacket. “I know you’re not excited to have me around, but what I said last night is the truth. I’m on my own right now, and I think if we worked together, we could really help each other, you know, survive all this.”

Upon hearing that explanation, the two conflicting camps in Jou’s mind had recommenced their all out war. He had hesitantly accepted the smaller man’s proposition of working together last night, but he was still unsure if that was really the best idea going forward. Even though what Yugi said seemed convincing and sincere, he had his own safety to think of, and even more importantly, his partner’s safety. This guy could still be arsenic disguised as a cinnamon roll. At least he could take comfort that if push came to shove, he would definitely be able to beat him in hand-to-hand combat. He had at least six inches of height on him and easily twenty more pounds of muscle.

“Fine.” His acceptance was gruff and reluctant, but nevertheless, it brought a small smile onto the other man’s face.

“Ok,” Yugi responded agreeably as he finished off his preparations for the cool fall morning by wrapping a knitted navy scarf adorned with white stars with a solitary goldenrod coloured star knitted into one of its ends.

Jou pulled on his brown canvas jacket and shook his head. “Ya really going to go out in the wilderness with that get up? All of those patterns and colours will make you stand out like a flashing neon sign.”

“Yeah, I am.” Yugi said with a frown. “A friend knitted it for me. And it’s better than what you’re wearing. You look like a generic NPC in a low budget post apocalyptic video game.”

“Oh great, and you’re a fucking nerd too.” Jou rolled his eyes and turned back to his pack with a derisive snort of “‘NPC’…”

They packed up their belongings in silence and shortly thereafter, they set off down the sloping hill back into the forest below. Jou made an extra effort to ensure they kept to their intended line through the forest. He was not about to fuck around with another lost day in these woods if he had anything to say about it. He had wasted far too much time already.

They walked in silence for quite some time. Despite his short legs, Yugi surprisingly managed to maintain pace alongside him, determined eyes trained straight ahead. As the leaves crunched beneath their boots, Jou’s mind started to wander. Once again, he pondered about the backstory of his new unlikely companion. Despite insisting that he was alone out here while his only known acolyte was back at their base, that look in his eye spoke volumes in a language that Jou spoke fluently. He had worn that same look many times before, the one that held many unanswered questions. However, before he could open his mouth to ask the question on the tip of his tongue, his companion seized the moment.

“Why are you staring at me?”

Was he really being that obvious? “You’re strange, ya know that?”

His comment seemed to take Yugi aback. “Why? Is it the hair? It’s always the hair…” he grumbled, blowing a puff of air out of his cheeks, making his bangs dance.

“Ah yeah, your hair is definitely strange. The toque is kinda helping, but I was talking more about that, ya know… ‘look’ in your eyes.”

“What ‘look’?” Those eyes moved from the ground to rest squarely on him, distrust starting to mask resolve.

“ _ That _ look.” Jou gestured with a wave of his hands at Yugi’s face. “Ya know.”

“No, I don’t.”

Jou’s brow furrowed. “Like a really determined, ‘man on a mission’ sorta look.”

Yugi merely shrugged and looked away. Despite the rough terrain, Yugi quickened his pace, his boots crunching along. Jou huffed and lengthened his strides to catch up.

“What is ya problem?” Jou snapped as he wove around a tree, trying to pull Yugi’s attention back to him once again.

Despite Jou’s snap, Yugi still refused to look directly at him, instead choosing to keep his eyes on the forest floor. “My problems are none of your business.”

“Like hell are you going to sass me, shrimp! I coulda killed ya back there.”

“You wouldn’t have killed me.” Yugi shrugged, his eyes falling to the leaves along the forest floor.

“Ya wanna bet?” Jou raised a balled fist as his frustration continued to build.

Yugi sighed and his voice was leveled as he answered. “I don’t think you have it in you.”

If this little guy was trying to get him riled up, it was working a bit too well. “Fuck you, are ya calling me weak?!”

“No, I don’t think you’re weak.” Amethyst eyes finally met his own. “Just the opposite, actually.” 

Jou stopped dead in his tracks.“Wait, what?” 

“You had every chance to kill me back there. And really, every reason.” Yugi stopped as well, turning around as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. “You can’t be too careful out here. But you didn’t. Instead, you took me in and let me share your camp. I think that shows your strength.”

_ Or my stupidity. _ Jou grumbled internally. The jury was still out if any of this was a good idea. He still could not help but wonder if he was being buttered up by this small, strange individual.

“Besides our obvious differences,” Yugi continued, “I think we may have more in common than you think.”

If he was going to go into some awful ‘we should be friends’ speech, Jou was certain he would hurl. They may have a few things in common like how they both had important people they would do almost anything for, but ultimately they were cut from different cloth. This much he knew for sure. This pipsqueak did not know the first thing about him and how far he would go for those he loved. He had half a mind to leave him right there in this goddamn forest and be done with it.

“How do I know you’re not just here to —”

“Wait! I think I heard something.” Yugi interrupted him suddenly, holding a hand out as in warning he started to scan the forest. “Don’t move.”

***

The woman had stopped voicing her disagreement after what felt like forever, but in actuality, it could have only been an hour tops. She either got tired of Bakura’s non-responsive behaviour or she actually had the decency to understand that he had been nice enough to let her in so she agreed to his terms.

He still did not know her name, nor did he really care. Truth be told, he was kind of pissed that she had had the nerve to follow him even after he had told her to get lost. Few people ever pushed back against him, but this chick? She was either brave or incredibly brash.

When they had stumbled upon each other yesterday in the hospital, for a moment, he felt like just pulling the trigger because he had way more important things to deal with. However, that would have attracted the zombies closing in on them based on the proximity of the grunts around them. It would have been a dead giveaway of their position.

He also knew he would have not been able to shoot her. He just could not.

Instead, he had carefully, and as silently as he could, walked away from her. He kept his weapon still aimed at her until he had been able to turn around and run the hell out of the building.

Deftly, he attached the rifle back to one of the straps on his backpack and produced his crowbar, an easier and more quiet weapon to use in these circumstances. He dodged into an empty corridor when he noticed shadows coming his way. Pressed up against the wall, he counted the steps and the grunts in his mind. There were probably only half a dozen undead near him, but enough to ruin his day, if not his life, if he was not careful. He had learned over the last few months that acting like a hero rarely led to anything. It was not a case of fight or flight; fleeing in this chaotic world was the most rational option and he knew it.

Bakura had done his fair share of observations to understand the undead enemy in their new reality. They were mostly slow, somewhat clumsy walkers, but could be prone to rapid outbursts if famished or provoked. What they lacked in speed, they made up for in aggression and strength. Once a zombie had his hands or teeth on you, the possibility of it letting go were slim, and more often than not, they would tear a piece of flesh as you managed to pull away. And if they bit you… well, that was it.

They did seem to possess a keen sense of smell, which was why personal grooming had become somewhat irrelevant in their time. Mind you, they would wash up, but most pieces of their clothing were now covered with smells that had lingered on, an entrancing mix of dirt and dry blood of the infected mostly. Bakura was used to wearing the same outfit whenever they left the compound: a pair of jeans with bleached patches from a previous misadventure, mid-calf steel-toed boots, a t-shirt of a band he did not even remember ever listening to, a blood red zipped hoodie and a black leather jacket he had equipped with studded pads at the shoulders and elbows as a way to inflict damage in close combat if needed.

Most of these articles were splattered with either dried blood, motor oil or mud, but he could not care less. All of this filth masked his own smell and this was very helpful. His dirty clothes seemed to work in his favour once again as the grunts passed on the other side of the door and did not even pause as they neared him. A tiny part of him hoped that the blonde woman would pull them her way, but another could only hope that she had managed to escape before they got to her. He did not wish any unnecessary harm on anyone. There were already too many ways to get hurt here that wanting someone to actually die would only put him in the same category as the monsters he was trying to avoid at all costs.

After a few minutes of silence, he deemed it okay to come out of his hiding spot and find a safe place where he could find to try and get some shut eye. He knew Yugi was smarter than anyone ever gave him credit for, so he had probably already found somewhere to crawl into before nightfall. Going out during the day was a dangerous endeavour, but going out at night was downright suicidal.

He swallowed thickly when he realised that this would be his first night alone in a long time, and that he was not even sure he would be able to sleep at all. The practical side of his brain kept screaming at him that in his condition he needed to rest and get some fluids in him, to make sure he did not just keel over from dehydration.

At the beginning, his little crew had wandered around this area of Domino trying to find places to raid for supplies. He headed down one of the familiar darkened alleys towards what he knew to be an old restaurant where the kitchen was one of the best spots to stay put for a few hours until the sun would peak back up in the sky. There were only two entryways, both lockable from the inside, with just enough furniture to block the doors. There were no windows and therefore less places to check. Also, since the room was small and relatively draft free, it would take him less time to warm up here.

Bakura made it inside and scouted the place as he always did, even if he already knew the joint well. He probably was not the only one who had used it, but from the look of things, it seemed like no one had recently. A few moments into his search, he soon realised he was not as alone as he had thought. He spun around on his heels at the crunch of debris under shoes, his weapon ready to swing at his assailant.

“Woah there, Rambo! I’m not here to bite you!”

He recognized the voice immediately, being much different than the voices of his companions and the terrifying grunts he was used to. She held her hands up defensively, her weapons packed away. Her machete was still readily available, sheathed like a sword at her waist.

He let out a strongly irritated sigh. “What the hell are you doing here?”

She looked at him for a few seconds, then shrugged almost innocently, not a very suiting look on her if he had gauged her correctly the first time. “Honestly, I followed you.”

He chuckled out a dry and humourless laugh. “Pretty fucking dumb thing to do, if you ask me!”

She let her hands fall down, seemingly sensing a very slim opening in his defense.“You looked like you knew where you were going, and I don’t, okay? I’ve never set foot in this part of town before.”

His weapon did not lower. He had learned that, in this world, monsters came in all sorts of forms, and that humans could hide a disturbing monstrosity within them too. He had never been the trusting type, and this situation sure did not help it. “What makes you think I’m not going to splatter your brains against that wall?”

She sighed in response, but nothing in her position spelled aggression. “Well, you didn’t back there, did you?”

He took a measured step towards her, just to get close enough to poke her in the chest with his crowbar. “Get lost.”

She barely budged, holding her stance and her gaze still strongly on him. “I know it’s too much to hope for, but I just want a safe spot.”

The desire to just turn away from her and get right back to securing his refuge was very strong. However, he knew better than to turn his back on a stranger. “Well, this one’s mine, so find your own fucking spot.”

If she was alarmed, her eyes did not betray it. For a brief second, he got lost in their purple haze, reminded of another set of amethyst he was suddenly deeply missing. Something in him involuntary flinched. He barely registered that the voice coming through the woman’s lips was not the soft and comforting one he longed for. “Just for the night, alright? Don’t throw me to the wolves.”

When he realised he was not in fact currently talking to Yugi, but to that annoying blonde who had dared follow him, his demeanour went back to its hostile and dry aspect. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because you’re a decent human being?”

Something resonated deep within him, spurring forth another voice he knew so well. One he missed as dearly as Yugi’s. One he had not heard in what seemed forever. One he would never hear again. Never.

_ “Because if we do, we’re no different than the monsters out there!” _

He hissed his reply right back at her, his thoughts still miles away from this conversation. “Woman, you have no proof of that.”

In his mind, he pictured those soft milky chocolate brown eyes that would never look at him again. The ones that had belonged to the only person that had never seen him as evil… well, the only ones before Yugi came along. Ryou could have pushed him away. He could have agreed with what everyone ever said about him, about his deviant twin brother that must have been born from darkness itself. No. Instead, his brother had always looked at him with nothing but love, even when he would shout the most horrible things at him.

_ “You’re not a monster, stop believing you are!” _

The blonde, who was still totally oblivious to his inner turmoil, kept the conversation going, barely holding his attention in the present. “True, but you haven’t kicked me out yet.”

And even if Ryou was gone now, his words still pierced his heart with a resonating truth he had held onto throughout this whole pandemonium.

_ “You’re not a monster, Bakura.” _

He finally lowered his weapon, but not his defenses. Ryou may have been right, but Bakura had learned that being more than careful could save his life. “You can stay on one condition. You’re sleeping in the freezer.”

The woman nodded slowly, relief showing from her tension-released shoulders. “This may have sounded a lot more frightening if there were actually any electricity left, so deal.”

His eyes never left her as he rounded up behind her, pointing her towards the kitchen area. She did not wait for him to push, obliging willingly while adjusting the straps of her backpack in a nervous gesture. She walked into the kitchen and dropped her belongings into the walk-in freezer, noticing the vent atop the metal wall that had been torn open to allow air inside, although nothing else could get in or out.

He waited for her to be completely inside before grabbing the freezer door handle. “And I’m locking you inside,” he said with finality.

She quickly turned to face him, her eyes wide. “Seriously?”

He offered her a smirk. He had expected such a reaction, but if she wanted to stay, he would make sure she was following his conditions. “I can still ‘throw you the wolves’ as you so poetically put it.”

She huffed and crossed her arms defiantly across her chest, but she did not offer a reply. As an afterthought, he asked her if she had food and something warm to sleep in, and when she answered with the affirmative, he slammed the door closed and locked it.

***

“No, I’m serious, I think I heard something...” Yugi’s whisper was barely audible.

All Jou heard was the light wind rustling through the scant remaining leaves on the trees and the sound of their breathing. “Yeah, right,” Jou scoffed. “You’re trying to change the subject. Do ya think I’m some sorta idiot? That trick won’t work on me!”

“No, really I -” the other started again.

“You know what?” the blond cut him off. “Fine. We were done talking anyways. I’m outta here,” Jou said with a wave, starting off purposefully in the direction of the town.

His arms swung and his footfalls never faltered, those steps never being joined by another’s. He did not care, though. He owed nothing to Yugi, and that guy could play at whatever game he wanted. He was not born yesterday. There was no way he was going to fall for something as stupid as the oldest trick in the world.

“Yeah, right. ‘I think I heard a noise’, how original...” Jou muttered sardonically to himself with a shake of his head. The sun was starting to cut through the grey, still morning. There was nothing to be heard in the forest beyond the noises he made himself. Not a leaf, branch nor blade of grass stirred unless prompted by Jou’s passage and the ever present chilled air. As he wove through the trees, putting distance between himself and Yugi, he scoffed again. Yup, definitely a ploy or a prank. Figures. He knew he should not have trusted that weirdo anyway.

Then came the groan.

Dammit! That cursed sound was so close to his ear that he nearly tackled a nearby tree in recoil. A rotten hand with nails like scythes darted outstretched, grasping viciously at his jacket. He let out a bellow as he tried to push the zombie away.

“Off, you fucker!” Jou’s voice broke just as the zombie’s other hand reached for his neck. He pulled away, but not quite enough. The nails cut deep as they grazed across his skin, leaving three reddened scratch marks in its wake. He took a step back and pulled at his axe’s handle. It did not budge… it caught on something. It never caught! What did it even catch on? It was stuck, how was this happening?

As Jou continued to pull the handle with a panicked urgency, the zombie closed the gap again. Its deadened eyes filled his vision, white and cloudy. The smell of putrid flesh enveloped him like the hands grappling at his jacket. If only he could —

THUD.

Too quick for the eye to catch, a projectile propelled itself through the side of the zombie’s skull. The sickening snap of calvarium splitting rang out in the eerie morning. He froze. The world seemed to stop for a moment, the skewered zombie continuing to stare right into Jou’s eyes. A shift. A slump. Then finally, it keeled over motionless to the fallen leaves below.

“Fuck, that was close.” Jou breathed as he backed away on shaky feet. He gave a quick glance to the projectile that had saved him from this impromptu encounter. A crossbow bolt, it had been killed by a crossbow bolt. Now, how the hell had that happened?

“I told you I heard something,” called a voice from somewhere close behind him.

Jou swung his head wildly just as Yugi stood up from his cover behind a fallen tree a few meters away. The shorter man hefted his crossbow to rest on his denim clad shoulder. Jou expected to have a scolding reprimand tossed his way or at least see a scowl, but to his surprise, Yugi merely smiled genuinely in his direction as he started to walk towards him.

“Are you alright?” Yugi asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Jou grumbled before adding, “I had it, you know.”

“Sure you did,” the shorter man replied with a hint of teasing. 

The blonde huffed like a vexed cat. “Are ya really sassing me right now?”

“Well, if you’re going to do reckless things…” Yugi laughed lightly as he finally arrived at Jou’s side. He nudged the zombie with the toe of his leather boot. “You were almost zombie chow.”

“Eh.” Jou uttered noncommittally as he rubbed at his neck, the three scratches from the undead’s fingers burning slightly with every pass of his palm.

“Wait, did you…?” Yugi’s eyes went wide.

The gruff man did not want to make a bigger deal out of it than it was. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” the other replied. “You’re hurt! Here, let me take a look. Did it bite you?”

“No, it just scratched me with its gross fingernails.”

Jou watched Yugi’s brow furrow as he inspected the lacerations, a small, thoughtful hum filling the air. “Thankfully the virus does not get transmitted through slashes, only saliva. But we should still clean this properly to prevent infection.”

“Yeah, yeah. I will wash it up later.” Jou swatted away Yugi’s hand and pulled up the collar of his canvas jacket to cover his neck. “But for now, we gotta get out of here. Its buddies must be around here somewhere.”

Yugi still looked displeased at his flippant attitude towards his injuries, but to Jou’s relief, he did not push the matter further. Or at least, he was not going to right now. “Lead the way.”

By the time they had found their way to the edge of the town, it was nearly dark again. Jou cursed the shortening fall days aloud as they stood at the edge of the forest discussing their next phase.

“I don’t think we should go in there until morning.” Jou started to explain, but Yugi merely looked at him and nodded once.

“Agreed. The darkness is a double edged sword. If there is a gang that has taken over this town like in the big cities, we may only figure that out when it’s too late. They would know the layout of the town much better in the dark than we would.”

“I agree with ya.” Jou narrowed his eyes slightly. This guy seemed smart…maybe even a little too smart for his liking. Trust was a thing that needed to be earned in his book, and even though Yugi had saved his life today, he was not ready to completely have faith in the little guy. Especially since he had often been referred to as someone who was not the brightest bulb in the room. He was headstrong, often rushing into situations instead of thinking them through… and this guy, this guy made him start to question his every move since he had stumbled upon him.

This guy made him vulnerable in a way. And he did not like it. Honestly, it threw him right off.

“Maybe we should go back a few feet in and set up the hammocks?” Yugi suggested.

“Yeah, I will find us a tree.”

***

The night had been uneventful albeit somewhat restless. Even though the woman was locked in the freezer, he had slept with one eye opened and his 9 iron firmly gripped in his hands. He had felt like keeping it close instead of his own crow bar. Maybe it was because Ryou had resurfaced in his memory, and holding onto his brother’s preferred weapon had felt soothing somehow. The woman had probably fallen asleep. He knew she was safe and secured in there, having slept inside it himself a few times several months ago before they had found their safe haven in that power plant.

As soon as he saw the sun rays peeking through the glass opening in the ceiling, he set off to repack his backpack. Once he had finished, he gave a couple of knocks on the freezer door, waiting a few seconds before opening it, his weapon ready in case the blonde tried anything at all.

“Rise and shine,” he said without much enthusiasm.

She was carefully seated, tying her laced boots, her stuff already packed and waiting by the door. She looked up when the door was fully open and she smiled at him like if it was the most natural thing to do at the moment.

“Ready to kick some zombie ass and cover some ground?” she asked him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, his face showing absolutely no amusement at such a situation. “I don’t think you heard me right the first time, you’re not coming with.”

She sighed audibly as she stood up and grabbed her bag from the floor, arranging it and her weapons in the most practical and accessible way. “Listen, I know you don’t like me. I doubt you really like anyone, it seems. But I have nowhere to go, and I’m a pretty decent fighter.”

He kneaded the bridge of his nose with nimble fingers, groaning. He motioned for her to get out and he followed her as they both headed for the entrance of the abandoned diner. “I don’t need a pet following me around aimlessly. I actually have something to take care of.”

He waited a few seconds, listening carefully as he scouted the area through the small fogged up window in the door. Early morning was the best time to move around, he had learned. The undead were usually much less active during the day, and even less at dawn. They did not seem to like sunlight, although he wondered if they really minded it. He suspected they might have been affected by the heat or the light, but he doubted that it had any effect on their sight or anything. Zombies were keen on smell, not on sight.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and shrugged it away immediately. He did not even look at the woman standing next to him. “Let me help then,” she proposed.

He opened up the door and felt the need to put distance as fast as he could between him and the blonde. He had had enough of being nice and he needed to get a move on if he was going to catch up with Yugi… or at least, find any traces of his passage close by. He was barely out of the door when he picked up the pace, thinking this whole conversation and encounter was over.

“Wait!” she called from behind him as he heard the gravel under her boots.

He spun around quickly, anger bristling in his features and posture. “What the fuck don’t you understand about the word: no?”

It came from his side, right between the two walls that created the very narrow alley. It had not even made a sound, except for a strained grunt as it collapsed onto him, sending him straight to the ground. He lost his balance from the sudden impact, and was thankful he always held at least one weapon in his hand, exactly for this kind of situation.

He was quick enough to dodge the rotten set of teeth heading for his face by shoving his crowbar right in between them and pushing with all his might the body that covered his. He cocked his head to the side, avoiding the trail of saliva that drooled from the perpetually opened mouth hanging right about him.

He managed to wring free and stood up rapidly, pushing the zombie back before his crowbar made an arc to slam down hard on the skull of his attacker. Driven by equal parts anger and adrenaline, he hit the zombie repeatedly until its head was completely crushed. Blood gushed from the wounds he created and splattered on his clothes, but he did not mind it. He had minded it the first few times he had fought these monsters, and spent way too many minutes trying to get rid of it on his outfit and his constantly bloodied hands after they had fought their way through the slew of undead they had met on their path.

But now? He could not care less about it. He knew blood could cover his own scent and was harmless in comparison to the venom-filled saliva and bite. That was the part they had to avoid at all cost, because a bite or a drip of saliva meant getting infected, just like an animal bite could give you rabies. And getting infected meant eventually turning into one of the monsters they were fighting… or getting killed before it happened.

_ “I won’t do it.” _

_ “But you have to.” _

_ “Well, I can’t, alright!” _

He let out a powerful groan as he gave the final blow to the body of the ground, making sure the skull was bashed in enough that the undead would not rise again and chase him down the road. He turned to face the woman again, wiping away the few black droplets of blood he could feel on his face. It seemed she had been busy with an undead of her own, as her attacker laid on the ground, a long trail of fresh blood across the front of her parka, he gathered it was from the slash of the severed head still rolling away from the rest of the body at her feet.

She was breathing heavily, her machete drenched in blood, hanging from her hand at her side, and she raised her eyes to meet his. She had not lied, she looked to be quite a skilled fighter indeed, and the resignation in her gaze was powerful enough to sway her purple irises. He could appreciate that, her skills and her determination, but that did not change his position about wanting to be alone on his endeavour. Having someone else with him meant having someone else to watch out for. He did not care about her at all, not like he had cared about his other companions before. And he had no need to start caring about anyone else.

As if she could sense his hesitation, she offered again. “I’m alone, you’re alone, how else do you want us to both survive if we don’t do it together?”

He used the undead’s dirty clothes to wipe some of the inky blood off his crowbar, tearing his gaze away from her. “I don’t care if you survive,” Bakura replied.

The sounds of her boots against the asphalt came closer to where he was, and his grip tightened around his weapon reflexively. She kneeled down next to him to get on his level, and her voice was softer somehow. “Well, call me stupid, but I’d rather we both did.”

He glanced back at her, his brown eyes remaining cold and distant. This was not the time to be making allies, like making friends in the kindergarten playground. He kept his hard attitude up. It’s what got him this far, and would ensure his safety. “Again, I don’t fucking care.”

She poked him on the shoulder, almost playfully, but her eyes held that same resolve as before. “I ain’t giving you a choice, honey. You either kill me or you accept my company. And we both know you ain’t going to put a bullet in me.”

Once again, she was referencing the fact that he could have killed her already, probably a few times over. But he had not. And he probably would not.

_ “You’re not a monster, Bakura.” _

He stood back up, but this time, he did not start walking away. Instead, he waited for her to stand up again too, not exactly offering a hand to help her up, but not leaving her in the dust either. “Maybe not today.”

She took a second to process what he actually meant and then nodded, a small smirk grazing her lips. “Well, I’ll take what I can.”

He did not reply, instead he waited for her to walk in stride with him, both with their weapons ready and their senses heightened by what had just happened. They headed to the outskirts of town through back alleys, avoiding larger avenues where street gangs often ventured in the morning to scout around. When the ground under their boots shifted from concrete and gravel to dirt and dried grass, the woman opened up her mouth again to reach out, although he had made it pretty clear he was not one for conversation.

“Do you have a name?” she asked.

He may not have been a talker, but a part of him liked to banter perhaps a bit too much. He indulged her in conversation, but his retorts were still snappy. “That’s a pretty stupid question.”

It seemed she could hold her own in a physical fight, but also in a verbal joust. “Are you always this nice and easy?”

He snorted. “Wouldn’t you like to know, huh?”

She did not hold out her hand to formalize her presentation, but she did however introduce herself for the time since they met. “I’m Mai.”

Against all odds, he found himself giving her his name back. “Bakura.”


	4. Third day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that cares_

To Jou and Yugi’s delight, the town remained motionless the next morning. There were no voices, crackling fires or smoke rising from any of the chimneys to suggest that this town was at all inhabited. Although, you could never be too sure. So once they had dressed and packed up their belongings, they started making their way into the town square to determine once and for all if this town was truly as abandoned as it seemed to be.

In its day, this town would have been considered rather quaint and nice. Along its periphery was an assortment of large and small businesses alike, showcasing clothing, food and other essentials. Although it was very hard to picture these decrepit store fronts as they once were through the thick layer of dirt that coated them and the shards of glass beyond their broken windows. Jou poked his head into the general store. It was not surprising that the shelves were completely stripped bare, some having even been stripped from the wall itself by the looters. He had half a mind to go inside and turn over every upturned shelf and showcase in order to make sure that they were not missing a potential canned good or package of crackers that was buried in the fray. Before he could make his move, he heard his companion call out.

"Jou, we have to keep moving. You know as well as I do that there is nothing to be found in there."

His companion’s irritation and urgency behind his words was not lost on Jou. As he swung around to look at Yugi, he held back a retort. There was no way he was about to take orders from a guy he just met! He did not even trust him really! Besides, even if he eventually came to somewhat trust him, he took orders from no one. No one. Well, almost no one.

_ "Are you really going to use that angle?" _

_ "Uh, yeah, it's a standard shot. I think we should keep it this way. It’s what we always —" The man in the baseball cap behind the camera protested, but was interrupted before he could finish his thought. _

_ "Well, I don't think it's going to work for me. And if you're not willing to change things up, I will find someone else who can." _

_ Jou shook his head from behind his boom. He had been with the Channel 5 News field team for three months now and had become very aware of the office dynamics. Being a grip, he was often located just beyond the periphery of the conversations and arguments that happened between other members of the crew. Usually it was an anchor or a reporter who assertively — and sometimes aggressively — voiced their demands of the crew. In this case, that was exactly what was happening. _

_ "You." A commanding finger swung towards him. "I’m surrounded by complete numbskulls. Do you know how to work a camera?" _

_ He had a couple times in his training program, but had never done so in a real life scenario. However, before he could even voice this, he was already sucked in. _

_ "Take the camera and shoot me from over there. You had better keep it steady…" _

_ "Yeah, boss," Jou muttered instinctively, lowering his boom and handing it off to one of the crew. _

_ He grabbed the camera from the now disgraced camera man, and just as he was perching it on his shoulder, he heard a mutter in his ear. _

_ "You won't even make it five minutes, Jounouchi," the disgraced cameraman drawled. _

_ To everyone's surprise, he actually lasted longer than five minutes. With only a few additional requests, the whole segment was filmed to the discerning standards of their outspoken reporter and was concluded without another outburst. His shoulder was a little sore by the end, and just as he was delicately putting down the heavy camcorder, he was again met by the voice of his 'boss'. _

_ "I just saw the tape, and my, did you do a good job there…?" _

_ "Jou. Er, Jounouchi Katsuya." He responded, looking up into those deep violet eyes. _

_ "Jounouchi…" His name sounded almost forbidden on that tongue and sent a shiver down his spine. "I think I'm going to make you my own personal camera man. You'd like that, right?" _

_ He very much would, in more ways than one. Those eyes were entrancing, holding him there as a willing hostage. The blonde waves of her hair, the way her blouse seemed to cling to all the right curves… he found himself willing to do almost anything she wanted. _

_ "Yes boss." _

The memory brought forth a whirlwind of emotions, of trepidation, longing and carnal attraction that still had him by the balls even to this day. He could not indulge in these sorts of thoughts now. Not while he still had so much left to do.

"Are you coming?" Yugi appeared at his side with an expectant look. The time for reminiscing was certainly done.

"What's the rush?" This town has clearly been looted. We aren't gonna find much here." Jou reminded Yugi as they set off down the dirt and trash littered sidewalk towards the heart of the town.

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. Every one of these shop's windows have been smashed. Even the dry cleaners! What the hell did people want from that sorta shop anyways?"

"Maybe that happened at the beginning of the apocalypse? When people still thought money could be of value." Yugi postulated.

"Yeah, maybe. But going back to the important stuff. Food's always been of value, even before this damn apocalypse. It's all gonna be gone."

Yugi did not respond, he just kept walking, his eyes roaming across the street to squint at the upcoming storefront signs. As they continued to make their way down the street, passing stores with unique names such as Nude Noods and GoodSports Goods, Jou watched Yugi's irritation fade away into worry.

_ He must still be looking for that pharmacy. We haven't passed by one yet. _ Jou noted to himself.  _ He must really care for that person. He's tying himself in knots! _

Yugi sure was to Jou's eye. He had his fingers tucked up beneath his Peruvian toque, scratching away at the back of his head to dispel some of the tension as he thought. Jou could see puffs of fog escape from Yugi's lips as he muttered the storefront names to himself. Not a few seconds later, those quiet words picked up quite suddenly.

"Ah, right there! Perfect!"

Jou exacerbatedly threw his hands in the air as Yugi fell into a jog without hesitation. He was left in the dust as Yugi headed for Malady Medicines with an almost desperate urgency. This town did have a pharmacy after all. He found himself idly hoping that this pharmacy had what his new companion needed. With a shake of his head, he followed in Yugi’s footsteps. 

***

The rest of yesterday had been uneventful, well, as uneventful as a day could be in their reality. They had fled the city as fast as they could, although Mai seemed to have absolutely no idea where they were headed. Bakura hated to admit it, but she was quick on her feet, keeping up with him easily. She was also quick in her wits, rapidly drawing her weapon and defending herself without him needing to check up on her every time they had encountered undeads.

Their best bet to stay safe was to get through the forest and avoid the main roads, so they traveled slower than Bakura would have liked, but in a safer fashion than if they had chosen to walk along the highway towards the next city. He had a strong suspicion that Yugi had only barely passed through Domino, if at all. The other knew how dangerous the city was, and even thinking back on it, Bakura should have headed down to the next town instead of hitting the city.

Yugi was smart, he had always been, probably a bit too much.

_ “Ryou, your friend is here!” called their mother’s voice from the entry hall. _

_ He heard the hurried footsteps of his twin rush down the stairs and he did not even have to wonder who the friend was. He was even surprised his mother had not called him by his name, she should know it by now. _

_ Ryou had met this annoying and tiny friend of his in a cooking class he had participated in a couple of years ago. They had been 8 at the time, and they had clicked like two peas in a pod. Ryou had brought him home soon after that, and Bakura had hid away in his bedroom. He would never say it, but he was happy his brother had finally found someone who seemed as sweet and genuine as he was. _

_ However, he did not need to like that friend. Heck, he did not even need to know him at all. _

_ But that Yugi boy had somewhat found a way to snake his way into their lives, and Bakura could only keep him at arm’s length for so long, it seems. And the other had now been around their family for the past 7 years, like a second brother he had never asked for, and had a nasty habit of putting his nose where it did not belong… or at least, putting his nose in Bakura’s life against his will. _

_ “You’re back.” _

_ It was not even a question, it was stated just casually. Bakura sat on his bed, tinkering with his broken gaming console, not even sparing a glance at the teenager leaning against his door frame. He definitely did not want to talk about his latest stint in juvie with his brother’s best friend. _

_ “And you’re here. Again,” he replied. _

_ It had been because of a fight this time, another one, but he had left the other with more than just a bloody nose, and the ‘poor’ guy’s parents had threatened to sue the school if Bakura’s parents did not do something to teach their son a lesson. And of course, they had agreed. They had their hands full with him and his behaviour, something they constantly reminded him of. Ryou had yelled that it was all his fault, that Bakura was only defending him, but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears, as they always did. _

_ Because even if Ryou never lied, never did anything wrong, their parents never believed anything he said about his own twin brother. They had once said that this was the main problem with having twins: one was bound to be the light, and the other one the dark. And instead of trying to understand the darkness inside him like his brother was hoping they would eventually do, they had just settled their minds into thinking that nothing good would ever come out of Bakura. _

_ “Why do you keep doing it?” _

_ Bakura still had not offered any of his attention visually to Yugi, remaining unaffected by his presence if not only merely annoyed as always. “Why do you keep asking?” _

_ He could see Yugi’s position shift in his periphery as he crossed his arms against his chest. “Aren’t you tired of people seeing you as an asshole?” _

_ He finally deemed it appropriate to look at the other with a wicked smirk. “You and swearing don’t match, Preppy.” _

_ He got up from his bed and walked towards his desk, setting down the pieces he had been cleaning and trying to put back together. He was distracted now, and he just wished Ryou’s friend would stop barging in and disturb his tiny slice of peace for a while. _

_ Yugi had the audacity to fully enter the room and walk towards him like he had every right to. “See, you’re doing it again. You’re being aggressive to drive others away.” _

_ He put down the last piece more firmly than he would have liked to, showing that unfortunately, the other was having an effect on him. However, he used his anger and channeled it into annoyance instead, as he turned around to face Yugi, his eyes hardened. “You think you’re so smart, huh? Trying to analyze me like I’m, what? A fucking nutcase? Is your perfect life not doing it for you anymore and now you’ve decided to bump into mine?” _

_ That jeer instantly got a reaction out of the smaller man, purple irises turning into razor sharp amethysts. “You don’t know shit about me.” _

_ Bakura was happy at himself for getting a rise out of the other, and just to push his point further, he poked him hard in the chest. “And I don’t want to.” _

_ Unfortunately for him, it seemed Yugi still had enough spirit in him to retaliate. And retaliate he did, hitting exactly where it hurt. “You’re lucky you have Ryou around to mop up the messes you make, you know that?” _

_ In a matter of seconds, he got into Yugi’s personal space, backing him against the bedroom wall. His eyes burned with rage and his jaw was held so tight he spat out his words in between clenched teeth. “Get out of my room.” _

_ He was used to fear whenever he got enraged. But the purple eyes staring back at him did not hold any of that. Instead, there was determination and something else, something akin to compassion although the words spoken to him were less than kind. “Oh, did I hit a sore spot?” _

_ His fist connected with the wall barely an inch from Yugi’s face, the plaster surface denting from the impact of his knuckles against it. “Get the fuck out of my room!” _

_ Yugi’s body had flinched, but not his eyes. His damned large understanding eyes. He had not run out of the room or even hurried once he started to make his move. He had peeled himself away from the wall slowly, shifting to the side and finally freed Bakura of his stare as he headed calmly for the door. He stopped for a second just outside of his bedroom door, hesitating for a moment as if he wanted to turn back to address the white haired boy once again. _

_ Bakura was faster with his retort. “And while you’re at it, get the fuck out of my life.” _

_ He slammed the door right behind the other as he walked out. He stayed in his room even when Ryou called him out for dinner, ignoring his insistence. He laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling for hours before the house got quiet and he left in the cover of the night, and went for a run, something he learned to do in juvie when he was upset. _

_ He had every right to be upset at Yugi, his twin’s best friend who had no right or reason to even interact with him at all. _

_ But most of all, he was upset at himself for realising that this fucking annoying boy could have even a slight effect on his behaviour. _

_ Because if it had been anyone else, it was not the wall he would have punched. _

The memory had hit him suddenly, but Bakura was already awake, his brain constantly alert and used to sleeping very little and very lightly. His sleeping bag was strapped to a tree to keep him from falling, his backpack sharing his tiny sleeping quarter. His hand continued to hold his weapon at the ready just in case. His eyes immediately went to his newest traveling follower, perched in a makeshift hammock in another tree a couple of meters away.

Mai was wide awake, probably also wired within these brief but restless reprieves. She blinked back at him and waved, sleep still lacing her irises. After making sure the ground was safe, they both got down from their trees and set their gears in motion for a quick start. The woman was munching on the rations she had brought, but Bakura knew better than to munch on anything right now, and settled for drinking only water even though his stomach was growling and his system ached for food. He remembered eating the day before yesterday and throwing it up that night before he was able to fall asleep, quite surprised it had stayed in his stomach all that time.

He blamed doctor Yugi for that knowledge, but he could not be mad at the fact that the other knew what to do in his current situation. He should have been more careful, and checked that he had enough shots, but things had been hectic the few days before Yugi left, and they had both been feeling strained after what had happened on their last supplies run. It was a pretty good reason to forget to check up on his own little medicine supply.

Bakura was hoping to make it to the next town soon, though. He hoped there would be a grocery store that had not been completely raided, although he knew that this was likely wishful thinking. Maybe he would find his needed fix in a pharmacy or something, but either way, he needed to find something to help with his condition soon. While he and Mai walked, they barely talked, both focused on either their thoughts or watching for signs of walkers that could jump at them at any time. Although he was content with this arrangement, it still seemed the woman next to him wanted to make conversation. She was probably tired of the ever present silence between them.

“What exactly do you have to take care of?” Mai demanded.

He did not reply right away, and instead, kept on walking forward, his grip tight of his weapon and his senses at the ready. The silence persisted as they maneuvered their way through the deadened trees, which had been affected both by the end of autumn and by the chaos that had fallen upon them in the last few months. 

Finally, he spoke. “None of your business. I already let you tag along.”

He heard the snicker in her voice, like an all-knowing teasing. “Sounds like someone running away from his problems, if you ask me.”

The soles of his boots crushed the dried leaves on the ground, each of his steps leaving an impression in the muddy path. “Well, I didn’t ask, did I?”

She sped up briefly then turned so that she was now walking backwards in front of him, like a child begging for attention that he was clearly unwilling to give her. “Maybe I could help you, you know.”

That got his attention. He raised an eyebrow at her, and for a second, he was reminded of Yugi’s overeagerness and playfulness back when he was younger. Mai’s purple eyes did not help shed that comparison. But this was not Yugi, and he did not want to get into an useless conversation. “That bullet you mentioned earlier sounds tempting now.”

Any further quips were quelled as he felt nausea hit him suddenly like a tsunami instead of its usual slow crest. His vision blurred instantly and he stumbled into the nearest tree, holding onto it for support as he emptied the liquid contents of his stomach on the roots peeking up from the soil. His whole body shook from the violence of his heaves, and the inner rebellion his organs were forcing up on him. He tried to gulp down some air to settle his stomach into cooperating, but his knees were barely able to hold him up still.

He heard the cocking of a shotgun behind him as it was loaded and primed. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the weapon promptly being aimed at him. The voice that followed was colder than a freezing winter wind, piercing the eerie atmosphere around them like a sharp icicle. “I may put my own bullet through you if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on right now!” 

***

The two men stood silently outside the pharmacy, Malady Medicines. Like the other buildings in this seemingly abandoned town, it too had been smashed in, and the contents within strewn about. Through the shattered window, Jou could see a few boxes lying intact amongst the chaos of broken shelves and smashed bottles. Maybe Yugi was right. Maybe there was something of use to be found here.

"Please be here… please be here," Yugi muttered to no one in particular as he entered the building and started sifting his way through the trash. After a slight delay, Jou stepped over the wooden board partially obscuring the doorway and joined Yugi inside. 

As the smaller man rifled his way through the scattered boxes and nearly empty pill bottles with fervour, Jou started his own hunt. This pharmacy had clearly been ransacked, but to Jou’s delight, there were still a few things inside that remained largely usable. A pair of safety scissors, a few packs of mints and a road map all found a new home in his pack. They were not particularly useful at the moment, but one could never have too many tools in their bag in case of any emergency. Just as he was shoving a fistful of dusty ziploc bags into his pack, he heard the tell tale sigh of a man reaching his wits' end.

"Come on! Novorapid, Lantus… anything!" Yugi's frustration was bleeding through into his words. He tugged off the scarf around his neck in irritation, and shoved it roughly into his bag.

Jou poked his head out of the aisle to see the orange pompom of Yugi's toque bobbing erratically behind the counter of the pharmacy. "What are ya talkin’ bout? You need help or something?"

"There's nothing! Not even NPH and no one really uses that anymore…"

"You're speakin' another language there." Jou left the aisle he was investigating and walked over to rest his forearms on the pharmacy countertop. Behind the counter, Yugi sat cross legged in a sea of empty boxes and shattered containers. Try as he might to cover up his reaction, Jou saw that he was broken up just like the bottles around him. 

"Sorry. I mean there's no insulin. Someone has taken it all already."

"Rough. I'm sure you’ll find some eventually. It just may take, ya know, a bit more time," Jou reassured with a shrug.

"There isn't time!" Yugi snapped, turning to leer at him.

Jou bristled at his tone. “Hey, what are ya yelling at me for?!” 

His own harsh retort seemed to do the trick. Yugi’s eyes widened slightly as he sucked in a breath. The stewing frustration Jou caught a glimpse of was pushed back beneath the surface. “I’m sorry,” he replied.

“Nah, you’re not. You’re pissed off and I don’t get it.”

Yugi’s composure was short-lived, the anger coming back with full force. “Since when did you start caring, huh? I thought you didn’t even want me around!”

“You're changing the subject!” the blonde hissed back.

The shorter man’s patience seemed to be down to its last thread. “And you’re not?!”

Jou let out a rough sigh. “I’m just sayin’, you’re acting like the world’s gonna end if ya can’t find this medicine.”

The other did not respond, choosing instead to stand up and start filling his pack with various medications from the rubble.

“Or maybe…” the taller hesitated before adding, “your world’s gonna end. Is that it, lover boy? Who is he to ya? The sick guy back at your camp?”

Yugi froze momentarily, a box in his hand hovered a few centimeters above his pack. His face was unreadable, obscured in shadows. Again he did not respond.

This conversation was like pulling teeth. Jou hefted another sigh. “Fine, ya don’t want to talk. Whatever. But for fuck’s sake, if you get my ass in trouble because of your bleeding heart, I swear, I’ll end ya myself!”

“You do not have to worry about that, Jou,” Yugi finally spoke. “It will never come to that.”

“Ya sure? Because I have shit I gotta do too, ya know. You’re not the only one with problems to solve.”

“I’m sure.” The resolve was back. To his eye, Yugi once again looked calm and even, but beneath, Jou knew that a storm had to still be brewing.

Yugi’s eyes seemed to linger over him momentarily before finally settling on his neck. “Oh, your slashes! I found something here that we can use.”

Jou adjusted his collar to hide the offending crimson stripes. “I’m fine.”

His traveling companion insisted. “They may get infected if we don’t clean them.”

Jou scoffed. “What do ya know? I’ll be fine.”

“Well, I was in med school before this all started, so a bit.” Yugi informed him with a small smile. He bent down to pull a brown bottle from his pack and a swatch of gauze. “Here, at least let me put some iodine on it.”

Jou harrumphed, but he held steady as Yugi wiped at his cuts with the amber soaked cloth, the solution stinging a little. An errant stream of liquid from Yugi’s overzealous application stained the collar of his baby blue henley shirt.

When the dabbing stopped, Jou shifted back into a more casual position. “There, got it out of your system, doc?”

Yugi laughed lightly. “You’ll thank me later when you don’t have to take the antibiotics I just put in my bag.”

“Hmm.” Jou’s hum was less than reassured. This surely was overkill.

The other finished shoving a couple more small boxes of medicine into his bag and after partially closing the zipper around his newly acquired goods, he stood up and addressed his fellow traveler.

“Do you mind if we take a look at the rest of this town? Maybe there’s another pharmacy around here that does have insulin?”

“This is a small town. The chances of them having more than one is —”

“Maybe, but would you mind just humouring me?” Yugi asked, the small spark of hope undeniable.

For a smart guy, this Yugi guy seemed kind of dumb. However, the question was demanded to him so gently and filled with so much hope that, no matter the urge to walk up to the tiny man and shake some sense into him, he could not deny the request.

The two men exited the small pharmacy and met with the cool, late fall air once again. They had reached the end of the street, and the few decrepit store fronts that were left did not seem of much interest. Yugi swung his pack over his shoulder and gestured off down one of the side streets. With Jou on his heels, Yugi set off down that street in search of this second improbable pharmacy.

They spent the rest of their afternoon exploring the remainder of the town. Just like the street with the shops, everywhere they went, the town was in various states of disarray, as if all of its occupants had left in a hurry. Judging by the smears of rust colored blood painted on the roads and the occasional off-white bone littering the sidewalk, this town was once under siege. The townspeople were probably panicking. The struggles of all the previous inhabitants were over though... in one way or another. Jou could not help but wonder how many of them had made it out alive?

The buildings were mostly small and trashed. Windows broken, walls crumbling. Jou passed by a few houses that would be suitable given a bit of elbow grease, but nothing quite like how he had been imagining. How hard was it to find a concrete building with minimal ground level windows? He was not looking for a castle, just for something great enough for the two of them, but he wanted to make the boss proud, he needed it. Although he had to admit, any of a dozen of these houses could make for a decent base, maybe even good enough for them, he believed. First, though, he needed to reunite with his partner.

_ Soon _ . Jou thought to himself. Their reunion could not come fast enough. His imagination started to run wild with the possibilities that these small abandoned houses could provide.  _ Soon. _

His travelling companion continued to wander the streets sporting a look akin to a lost puppy. No matter where they went, they did not find another drug store. It was too bad! Yugi seemed to take it about as well as Jou expected. On the outside, he seemed calm and understanding. But something told him that the worry he once saw him wear was definitely starting to eat him from the inside.

There it was again.

That indescribable and untimely  _ empathy. _

It was times like these that he wished he was more like the monsters in this world. It was one thing to sympathize with your fellow person, but seeing Yugi standing there with a small crease in his brow from worry, he felt  _ compelled _ to help, even though this could be very dangerous to his own goals. It went against every survival instinct he possessed, but regardless, he still found himself pulling the map he had grabbed from the pharmacy out of his bag and searching for the next town. Interestingly, there was another town nearly three quarters of a day’s walk away to the southwest. The map totalled amenities such as a gas station, fast food restaurants, a grocery store and, what do you know… a pharmacy!

“Hey Yug’,” Jou called, holding out the map for his companion to see. “I think we got a second shot at finding that insulin.”

“‘We?’” Yugi echoed, with a guarded anticipation.

Jou scoffed lightly and shot a smile in the short man’s direction. “Yeah, ‘we’. I’m coming with.”

“I thought you’d stay here…” Yugi motionned around them. “There’s plenty of houses that would make a good hideout in this quiet town.”

Jou shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Don’t question it. And anyways, I think ya could benefit from my muscles.”

“I’ll remind you that I was the one who just recently saved you from a zombie attack,” Yugi said cheekily.

Jou snorted dismissively, puffing out his chest a little. “Ya butted in! I had it.”

“Sure, Jou. Sure you did.” Yugi raised an eyebrow.

“Hey! Do ya want my help or not, pipsqueak?”

Yugi laughed. It was the first time he had heard him fully laugh, and despite his best efforts, he found himself genuinely smiling back at him.

“Yeah, ok. Let’s get a head start. I want to get to that town as soon as possible,” he exclaimed, starting to skip like an overexcited child.

The blonde jogged after him, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. I’m comin’.”

The two men were back in those woods well before the sun could set.

***

Mai’s eyes continued to bore holes into his skull, her shotgun aimed steadily at his chest. He knew perfectly well why she was reacting this way. After all, he had been well acquainted with the effects of zombie saliva seeping from a bite mark into a body. He knew how the hosts of the infection fought teeth and nails against the parasite creeping and tearing its insides apart. He knew in this world that anyone unfortunate enough to be taken by any kind of illness could be suspected of turning into an undead. He had just hoped to be able to control it enough for Mai not to freak out on him and pull her gun out.

“Damn it, woman, just give me a second alright!” he managed through laboured breaths.

There was no other sound around them other than his uneven breathing and her enraged roars. “Like hell, I will! Show me the bite, asshole! You’ve got some nerve hiding it and pretending like you’re not going to turn on me!”

He tried to stand up straight, one hand still holding on to the tree, his fingernails digging into the bark, while the other massaged the bridge of his nose in an attempt to steady his vision. “Just stop. I’m not infected, for fuck’s sake!”

He sensed the panicked edge in her voice, but the anger in it was stronger. “Then what the fuck are you?”

Slowly, he turned around to face her. He had to calculate his movements methodically so as to not just pass out, which would probably give her more motive and opportunity to kill him without a second thought. He sighed and his chocolate eyes met hers. “I’m sick, alright!” He knew he needed to tell Mai the truth if he wanted to come out of this exchange unharmed. “I’ve got diabetes and I haven’t had my shot in six days now.”

He did not expect her to believe him. He watched as the emotions shifted in her gaze, from anger to suspicion then to realisation. She did not lower her gun, but the edge in her voice was gone when she spoke again. “That’s why you’re out here... that’s why you were at the hospital. You’re looking for insulin.”

He pushed his short bangs back, his body still weak from the vomiting, but slowly starting to cooperate a bit more. This was not the first time this had happened in the years he had been diagnosed. Initially, he often forgot his medication and Ryou would patronize him for not caring enough about himself, which honestly, was true. But he had decided to integrate it into his routine, because deep down, he did not want to give his brother a reason to worry about him more than he already did.

He was not about to tell her the real reason he was out there. After all, he did not know her, and frankly, did not trust her. She had not earned the right to get that information from him yet. He was used to keeping people as far away from him as possible, he was not about to change that approach with someone he had just met that had yet to prove herself.

“Let’s leave it at that, okay?” he mumbled back.

He then explained that he knew he could get his system back on track for a short while if he found a low sugar electrolyte drink, something akin to what people drank after a rough bout of gastroenteritis or to what athletes took while training. He was hoping to find some in the next town if he could not get his hands on any insulin, which would probably be the case. She agreed to keep going with him, but she kept her weapon out and a larger distance between them.

And with sheer dumb luck, Yugi might be there, searching for his medicine as well, and he could haul him back to base with him, whether he wanted to or not.

And then they could talk.

Because they definitely needed to talk.

And he definitely needed to focus on anything but the words left unspoken between them. These thoughts would not help things while they trekked into the forest and into foreign territory.

Bakura could see Mai eyeing in from time to time and he could guess what she wanted to do. “What? You wanna fucking check me for a bite?”

Her tone was right in the middle of the tease she had offered him earlier and the seriousness of the possibility. “I honestly have half a mind to ask you to strip completely.”

Bakura felt like indulging her for a moment, giving the fact that she had accepted to let him live. “And give you a free show? You’re pushing it, woman.”

She chuckled and the tension from the situation dissipated a bit further. “You wouldn’t do it for me, honey, sorry ‘bout that.”

They made it to the town while the sun was setting, Bakura unable to walk as fast as he usually did. They had opted for a slower pace to make sure that he had enough stored energy to fight back against walkers, that being their top priority as they made their way through the trees that lightened up before clearing out the way to the town they had been hoping for.

The sign might not have been lit anymore, but it caught their attention immediately with its ridiculous name: GoodSports Goods. Mai muttered something about this sounding promising as they threaded carefully into the abandoned town towards the store. They could always try to find a pharmacy somewhere after to see if they’d be lucky enough to store anything good and useful. One could never have too many medical supplies.

The store had been raided, like most places these days, but some alleys were left mostly untouched. People had had very little use for fishing gear and basic sports equipment, and had opted to empty the camping and hunting sections mostly. He went straight to the cycling section, remembering a discussion he had feigned to ignore all these years ago when Yugi had divulged into a heated argument about the pros and cons of sports drinks with one of the employees. He found exactly what he was looking for, jars of powdered electrolyte drink, and proceeded to read the labels to find the one with the least amount of sugar in it, not wanting to risk the acceleration of his worsening condition.

He mixed a spoonful of the powder into his water bottle and started sipping on it slowly, having taken a seat on the ground, his back resting against the metal shelves. He did not want to drink it too fast, despiste his throat screaming for relief after his earlier heaves. He felt Mai sitting next to him, looking reassured at the display of somewhat normal behaviour instead of turning into a rabid undead.

“Feeling better?” she asked.

He snorted against his will. “Give it time, it’s not fucking magic.”

She sighed, but not as heavily as he would have thought. “Now what? You’re going to keep town hoping until you find your insulin?”

It was out of his mouth before he realised the implication of his answer. “Not exactly.”

He felt her inquisitive eyes on him. “Then what are you looking for?”

He briefly thought about how she had caught him when he had lost his footing in the forest, still discombobulated from the nausea. He thought about her sifting through the aisles to help him find what he was looking for. He thought about her remaining here when she could have chosen to be long gone by now. He owed it to her, at least partially. “It’s not a what. It’s a who.”

“... Someone close?”

She might have earned the right to know about him, but she didn’t need to know the specifics. “Not gonna talk about that with you.”

“What happened?” she prompted yet again.

And he answered, because somehow, he needed to get it off his chest. “He thought he had the responsibility to leave and find that insulin without me. Fucking saviour complex.”

There was a pause as he kept on sipping from his bottle, the freshness filling in his mouth with each drop of drink. And then she asked the question that shifted their conversation. “He left you where?”

This was where he could decide to flat out lie, to deny the fact that they had found a base somewhere, that they had been pretty safe there for the most part. But he could not bring himself to lie about that. He blamed Ryou for softening him all these years, for wanting to maybe help instead of destroy like he was so used to. “We… we found a safe spot, we’ve been hiding there for the past few weeks.”

The silence that fell between them was not uncomfortable, but it was heavy nonetheless. Usually safe spots were taken by gangs that held whole cities in the palm of their hands, using violence and fear to retain their followers. Rare were the safe spots that belong to smaller groups, and they were often fought over until the more powerful of the groups could claim it as their own. They had been lucky to find it and keep their base, and they had even secured it even more with Bakura’s tinkering on the locks and doors.

And he had offered that information to Mai freely. He still did not understand why he had.

“Okay,” was all she replied.

“Okay?” he said right back, eyes glancing sideways.

She was looking at him with resignation. “I’ll help you. I’ll help you find him again, whoever he is. But I want in that bunker.”

It was not a surprising request. He had probably expected it after his confession. This was the point of no return, he felt, there was no turning back after he gave his answer. And really, in this situation, there was only one valid option.

“Deal.”

Her eyes went wide immediately. “Just like that?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Woman, I still don’t like you. But I know for a fact that if we find him, he will not let you rot outside our walls.”

She snickered at his comment, nudging him slightly. “He’s a softie?”

Any other day, he would have retaliated with a punch to anyone who had dared touch him so casually, but this was different. This whole thing was different. Besides, he needed to save his energy for anything else at that point. “No, he’s probably the opposite really. But he’s got too big of a heart for his own good.”

They stayed for a few more minutes, letting him finish his drink as they packed up a few pouches of the sports drink powder for good measure. As they continued their trek through the shop-lined street, Bakura noticed that most of the stores they had passed by were completely abandoned, their windows smashed and their shelves emptied. As expected, they found a pharmacy, Malady Medicines, not that far down the street from the sporting goods store.

Bakura stopped dead in his tracks right outside while Mai kept going a few steps further before noticing he was not following anymore.

“Fuck me,” he muttered under his breath.

She backtracked to him. “What?”

He bent down to pick up something from the rubble on the ground, a dark hand-knitted scarf adorned with pale stars. It rested atop everything else, probably dropped unknowingly by its owner, because he knew Yugi would have never left it behind willingly.

“He was here,” he breathed, his eyes still glued to the woolen garment.

She reached for the scarf, running her fingers along the golden star embroidered on one end. It was different from the rest of the others, and Bakura knew that this little detail could have only been put there by Ryou when he had knitted it for Yugi. 

“How do you know?” she questioned.

For a second, he feared the worst and checked the scarf for fresh blood, as well as the surrounding pavement, but everything seemed still and calm, no recent trace of violence around. He swallowed harder, hoping it did not show as he answered. “Because I’d know that scarf anywhere.”

Mai voiced out the one thing he did not want to think about at this moment, but he knew she meant no harm by it. “So what you’re saying is that we might have just missed him?”

His fingers curled tightly around the material, his anger making his knuckles turn white. “Yeah… karma’s being a real shitty bitch right now.”


	5. Fourth day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that ensnares_

Bakura and Mai spent the next hour trying to retrace Yugi’s path through the town. Bakura felt a strong urge to run around belting Yugi’s name out like a junkie in need of a fix nearly overwhelmed him, and made him realise that Yugi had once again started a chain reaction in his mind. But he had suppressed this urge, knowing just how stupid it would be to do so as it could attract unwanted attention. His inner pride also made him think about how weak that would have looked to Mai. It was bad enough that he felt physically weaker than usual, he did not need to appear mentally weaker too.

Eventually, they had made it back to the GoodSports Goods, where Mai had shown him a neat trick to sleep safely and soundly in an urban setting. She confessed that it had felt weird at first, but that she had found it was the best way to avoid both undead and humans that could wander in during the night.

She got up on a shelf to dislodge a ceiling tile and climbed into the space between them. From where she perched, she instructed him to pass up two large foam wakeboards she had gathered in the store, which had been passed over during the ransacking. They were sturdy enough to use as bed bases so she suspended them on the ceiling rails, completely hidden from anyone poking around once they put the ceiling tile back. The space was wide enough to lay down, and the tiles were easily movable in case they needed to make a break for it. They had reinforced the doors just in case, but zombies rarely wandered in abandoned towns. Not enough brains to feast on, he guessed.

He slept with a weapon in hand as he always did, but he had also wrapped the scarf around his neck, finding comfort in this little piece of both Yugi and Ryou. Yugi might have been the one to wear it all the time, but Ryou had been the one to put so much effort into knitting it for him all those years ago as a Christmas present. He had knitted one for Bakura too, but it was back at his house, forgotten in a box at the top of his bedroom closet, the same box it had been offered in. He had never worn it, not because he did not like it, but because he treasured it too much for anything to happen to it.

The fact that he had missed his friend by maybe only an hour was not lost on him. He hated the fact that they had been slowed by his hyperglycemic wave earlier today, but he knew they could still catch up to him. Yugi would have to take the night to rest as it was the smartest thing to do. He knew he needed his own rest if he had any hope of his body cooperating, so he let sleep take over just like Mai had done, according to her steady breathing a couple of feet away from him.

The morning arrived like it always did, creeping up just like the ever present autumn fog and chill. They dismantled their sleeping arrangements, trying to not leave too many traces as they headed out of the town, deciding whether they should head down the road to another town or risk exploring west where laid more forest ground where they had both never set foot before. They went west, knowing full well that avoiding roads was the best bet to also avoid any type of enemy, but also because the forest could provide good cover from humans and monsters alike.

Mai had been quiet so far, and this made Bakura realise that she had yet to share any personal information on her side also. He had reluctantly done so yesterday, but in the end, he had not minded that sharing, actually finding some minute comfort in talking to an outsider about his life, someone who did not know anything about him to begin with. Someone who did not have a preconceived notion about him or his life.

“How did you end up in Domino to begin with?” he opened.

She shifted her bag on her shoulders, but did not seem vexed by his question at all, more like a bit uncomfortable. “I’ve always been around the big city honestly. Well… we.”

That was new for sure, but instead of prompting her to talk about that ‘we’, he opted to stay general. “What happened?”

“I was a city girl before all this. Still am. So when it hit, I could not think about just skipping town yet, so I stayed there, poking around the limits, but never wandering far enough for it to be out of sight. Mind you, I got used to sleeping in the rural areas around Domino once the gangs took over. It just didn’t feel that safe anymore staying in the city after that.”

He did not offer any feedback, letting her continue on, nodding his understanding.

“I was not alone. I too had someone, a good one at that. We were good together, good for each other, I guess. When it all began, we stuck together, and we made it far. But we got separated just like you and him. We thought it would be good to scout the areas around on our own, then meet up after a few days. We just wanted to find some place safer, you know. But he never made it back. I waited, and he never came back.”

He glanced her way, noticing the melancholy in her features. “He might still be alive.”

She chuckled humorlessly. “I’m not one to hold on to foolish hope anymore.”

He reached out and grabbed her arm for a second. “Then why are you helping me find my friend?”

This time, the teasing was back, something she seemed keen on. “Honey, I have nothing else to do anymore. Annoying you sounds like a viable option.”

He cocked his head to the side and smirked. “Sounds legit, although for the record, I will tell you to go fuck yourself.”

She puffed her cheeks and started walking again, her steps taking her backwards as she was still looking at him. “Pish posh, you know you’re starting to enjoy my compa-“

She did not get to finish her sentence before she was lifted up into the air, imprisoned by a casing of military grade net, held high above the ground. He quickly analysed the situation and headed towards the tree where the trap hung, but he was so focused on rapidly dealing with her that he did not notice the fact that someone had planned another trap to ensnare a possible rescuer. His foot got caught in a rope hoop on the ground and he too was lifted up, hanging upside down, thanking the fact that his backpack was solidly strapped to his back.

He immediately put his golf club in between his teeth and tried to crunch himself to reach the binding around his ankle, but he was having a tough time pulling his weight. It was a difficult thing to do normally, so in his weakened state, it was near damn impossible. After a few moments upside down, he could feel the blood rushing to his head, causing a sudden wave of unwelcomed nausea and dizziness.

“Shit, shit, shit…” he mumbled, trying to stay focused on reality.

“Don’t move around too much, it’ll get worse!” Mai said, seemingly noticing his changing state.

He felt his senses fading as he noticed a group of three people headed their way.

“Well, well, well. These are some interesting birds we caught, don't you think guys?” the one with a wild brown mop of hair crowed.

Mai was looking up at him more than looking down at them. “Stay with me, honey. Just try to, at least,” she whispered his way, her voice laced with worry.

“Easier… said… than…” and he did not get to finish before he completely blacked out.

***

Jou and Yugi walked through the forest late into the night, only stopping to rest once the moon had reached its zenith. Their night of rest had been much shorter than Jou would have liked. He felt like he had not even slept five minutes before he was pulled out of his light sleep by the rustle of the other in the tree across from him. The sky had barely lightened, yet there was Yugi, pulling himself out of the small hammock nest he had made in a nearby tree and rolling up his sleeping bag.

“It’s barely light out…” Jou groaned his discourse. 

Yugi was having none of it. “We need to get going. The sooner we get to this town, the sooner I can start making my way back with the medicine.”

“You’re really that hopeful, huh?”

The shorter man adjusted the ear flaps of his toque. “Yeah, I guess I am. I have a good feeling about this town.”

Jou pulled himself from his roll to straddle the branch it was hanging from. “But doesn’t all that hope just make it hurt more when ya get let down?”

Yugi stopped his packing abruptly. For a moment he seemed to be consumed by his thoughts, staring at the ties to bind his sleeping bag laying listlessly across his fingers. “Yeah, but what else am I supposed to do? He won’t bring himself to hope, so I have to hope enough for the both of us.”

That was one of the most honest responses he had received from anyone since the world had gone to shit. He had met other people along his journey. Broken people, angry people. People who seemed to be terrified of this new world. There were people he had met who seemed to relish in the anarchy and violence, even thrive in it. Yugi was so different from anyone else he had met. Even though it was clear that he had seen some real shit, he continued to hold onto his optimistic view of humanity, remaining untarnished and as bright as the pompom on his hat.

“Huh,” Jou huffed to fill the growing silence as he took a bite of his rations, a can of cold beans he had just popped open.

Yugi finished tying his sleeping roll and flashed him a knowing smile. “You must also have hope for you and your partner too.”

“What? What partner?” Jou shook his head, maybe a bit too energetically.

The other pushed on a bit more. “Come on, you can be alone out here.”

“Yeah, I can.” Jou redoubled his efforts, both on convincing his companion and shoving enough beans into his mouth so that he physically could not reply.

Yugi kept on smiling genuinely. “I heard you muttering to yourself as we were looking at the houses yesterday. You’re looking for a base for you and your partner, aren’t you?”

The beans felt like a brick in his stomach as he choked on his current mouthful. Well, damn. He really had to learn to keep his mouth shut. Loose lips sink ships and all that. Even though he was starting to feel like maybe Yugi was not out to dupe him, he still had to keep their safety in mind. Relaxing and letting this sort of information slip could prove to be a grave mistake. The zombies may be the ones doing most of the killing nowadays, but spilled secrets could still invariably lead to bloodshed. Oh well, he was not one to ruminate on the past. Time to do some damage control.

He sighed and offered the truth finally. “Yeah, I do. We’re just trying to make our way here like anyone else. Our last base was, erm, compromised and we needed a better one.”

“Was it overrun by zombies?” the other asked.

“Yeah,” Jou grumbled. “Those bastards.” 

“I’m sorry,” Yugi said quietly.

“Why are ya apologizing?” Jou looked at him incredulously. “Ya didn’t sick them on us… or did ya?”

His joke landed, generating a genuine chuckle out of the tricolour haired man. At least Yugi seemed to have a sense of humour. He might have gone nuts if he had taken that jab seriously and started apologizing more. Even though the world had gone to hell, things should not always be gloom and doom. At least, not in his opinion. He should have known the guy could take a joke, though, seeing as he’d choose willingly to wear a hat like that. That pompom was practically a joke in and of itself.

“No, if I had that kind of power, I would made had bigger plans,” Yugi responded with a grin.

Jou puffed his chest out and spooned the last of the beans into his mouth. “Well, it was a pretty fine base. Any mastermind would have wanted it for themselves! Fit for a king, I tell ya!”

Yugi shook his head. “Sure, Jou.”

“Why don’t ya believe me on any of this?!”

Yugi pulled a package of jerky from his bag and started munching. “Well, I’ve seen your pack. If your base was kept in that sort of state…”

“Ya calling me a slob? Also you had jerky all this time?” Jou yelled from his perch.

“Keep it down!” Yugi hushed him with a soft chuckle. “We don’t need zombies, or worse, other people finding us. We’d have bigger things to worry about than bases and jerky.”

“Maybe if I had a mouthful of jerky, I’d be quiet,” Jou offered, smirking in his direction. Yugi shook his head and lobbed him the bag anyways. Jou caught the bag nimbly and started making quick work of the salted, dried meat. Other than beans, he had not had proper protein in a long time. Even finding animals to roast back at their last base had been tough. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yugi rummage through his bag.

“Uh, hey. Have you seen my scarf?” Yugi asked.

“The starry one? Not since yesterday. I think ya had it back at the pharmacy, but ya haven’t worn it since,” Jou said around a mouthful of jerky.

His answer only seemed to fuel the troubled look that was blooming on Yugi’s face. But as quickly as it came, Jou watched it fade away to that easy, friendly gaze.

“Ok. Well, we don’t have any more time to waste! Let’s get going here soon.” Yugi made a move towards his pack. “Oh, and don’t eat it all now!”

***

Bakura was used to waking up suddenly ever since chaos had fallen upon their world. But being woken up by a hard slap across his cheek was definitely a new one. And honestly, he did not like it one bit, although he had to admit it was very effective.

“Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty,” that same taunting voice from before spoke up.

His eyes quickly adjusted to his surroundings and he noticed he was now in what looked like some sort of military tent. He sat on a metal chair, his wrists bound by what he felt was thick plastic zip ties tightened around them. For a second, he was reminded of a similar situation in which he had been bound recently, but the emotions he held for his captors were quite different.

He felt a second presence close to him. “You’ve got your fairy tales all wrong, dumbass. That’s clearly Snow White.”

The other person had chopped red hair, his eyes neutral as he appraised him from head to toe. He could also feel on him the eyes of the brown haired man sitting on the ground, legs crossed like a child. For a few seconds, everything was quiet in the tent. Bakura quickly realised Mai was missing, as well as the third individual he had seen, a tall and broad blonde man.

“Oh, don’t worry, princess. The lady’s well taken care of,” the man on the ground provided when he noticed his gaze going sideways.

Before he could even reply to that comment, the flaps of the tent were held open from the outside and another man walked in. From the way the man carried himself, Bakura could immediately tell he was in command. He stood tall and proud, an aura of authority surrounding him, his icy blue long hair coiffed in dreadlocks and half-pulled up in a ponytail. But the most unsettling thing about him were his eyes. It was not the dichotomy of blue and green in them per se, but rather the energy they exuded as they settled on him.

“Speaking of Valon, why don’t you go check on our other guest?” His question was phrased more like a command as he addressed the man sitting on the ground.

His voice held an air of grandeur, a powerful sweetness strong enough to make even the most bitter of people turn their attention to it. Bakura was impressed, but not moved by it. He knew better than to fall into a trap, well, at least not when he clearly saw one.

The brown haired man left the tent with a quick nod to the newcomer and that only left the redhead in the tent with them. He had not moved from his spot on the side, only nodding politely at who he assumed was his boss.

“Alister, would you mind unbinding this man? I’d like to show him around.”

The redhead did not even flinch or question the demand as he bent down and cut through the plastic bindings around his wrist, using a sharp pocket knife to do so. Bakura brought his wrists in front of him and massaged them lightly. He felt naked without his gear and kept thinking about his backpack as he stood up. The contents of that pack would be essential for surviving the next few days.

He was smart enough to not jump into a brawl with the two men, although he could have probably taken them down easily. There probably were more goons outside, and he needed to assess his situation before he did something foolish. He also needed to learn where Mai was being kept. Although he may not have known her for long, he found himself unable to leave her behind. Not anymore.

“Walk with me,” the voice commanded, and he found himself complying to avoid consequences.

They left the tent and he realised he had been right not to challenge the fragile equilibrium he had sensed. At least a dozen other tents in what seemed to be an established base camp in the middle of the forest surrounded them. There were a few concrete ruins covered in graffiti that dated back to before the chaos. The dilapidated walls had been used to enclose various areas such as an outdoor kitchen and other amenities. Things looked very organized, people coming and going, all busy with something. Everyone they passed bowed their head slightly at the imposing man next to him.

Bakura swallowed hard as he pieced together what this whole thing reminded him of. This leader next to him had everything every good cult leader should have, down to a tee, he would guess. The camp was filled with young adults and teenagers, a very gullible crowd that all seemed to like this individual a bit too much. They smiled at him like he was their most precious hope. A light in the darkness. He had not thought such a group would be found in the woods, as most of them had taken refuge in towns and cities where supplies were closer.

The tall blonde was suddenly back in front of them, his grip solid on the arm of a short struggling man, feet barely skimming the mud on the ground, trying to squirm away from the man he was brought up to face. His eyes were wide, a mix of apprehension and alarm in them as he neared them.

“Found him, Sir,” the brutish blonde said as he dropped the young man unceremoniously at their feet.

Bakura felt the shift in the air, the cyan haired man next to him emitting some sort of unrepressed aggression although his demeanour stayed honey-like from the outside. He knelt down next to the other, whose hair was half hidden by a large unflattering red toque.

“Oh Rex, what have you done now?” his voice dripping saccharine, but with the aftertaste of belladonna Bakura knew oozed from passive aggression.

The shorter man held captive by the brute seemed to become even smaller under the gaze of his leader. “I swear, Dartz, I didn't mean to do it. I just dropped the bag running away from walkers!”

The man called Dartz shook his head lightly, his displeasure apparent. He brought a slender finger under Rex’s chin and lifted his face to ensure he was looking right at him. “But that was quite selfish, don’t you think? Putting your survival needs over this community’s ones?”

The alarm in Rex’s gaze was so potent it made Bakura feel even more nervous about his position. He had been captured, yes, but he was now walking freely next to what appeared to be the cult leader, Dartz, who did not feel the need to keep him bound. The whole arrangement seemed surreal, and it also dawned on him that he may have landed himself in a far more dangerous situation than facing a group of undeads. 

“Bu-but Dartz, what would you have wanted me to do?” Rex stammered, tumbling over his words as his panic crested. “There were so many of them, I would have gotten bitten for sure!”

“The supplies you had with you should have been more important than the possibility of a bite, you should know that by now,” Dartz retaliated, still as calm as the eye of a storm.

By now, Rex was heaving in distress, like he knew something horrible was about to happen to him. Bakura had an inkling about what it might be. He had seen gangs act upon traitors or deserters before, which was the main reason they had chosen to stay as far away from cities invaded by them as possible.

Dartz snapped his fingers and Alister produced a small metal case which he opened promptly and handed to the blue haired-man. Inside, Bakura could see vials of thick liquid, like water tainted with blood or something darker actually, blacker. He still had not opened up his mouth yet, quietly observing the whole exchange, knowing perfectly well that even a word from him could immediately get him into the exact same predicament as this Rex guy. “Community over individuality, Rex. You failed at upholding our first rule. You know what needs to happen.”

As soon as the leader had pulled a little vial in between his fingers, Rex came undone. “Dartz, please, I’ll do anything, just please, don’t do this!”

Tears of panic escaped his eyes and Bakura tried to put the pieces together, until it hit him.

“Rafael, if you would be so kind?” the headman asked.

The tall blonde brought Rex to his knees and twisted one of his arms painfully behind his back, making him arch. His other hand grabbed his jaw and forcefully opened his mouth, his fingers digging into the soft skin of his cheeks.

Dartz twisted the cap off the vial. Bakura could not be sure what the contents of the vial was, but if his guess was right, then this was downright the most horrible thing he would ever witness. And he wanted to do something about it, he really did, but he found himself frozen on the spot. He did not even know how he managed to whisper the next words that came out of his mouth.

“You’re a monster…”

He knew it was a very perilous thing to do, to voice his discontent on this all-mighty powerful leader that everyone seemed to adore and respect, but he could not just watch idly as another human was about to be tortured this way.

Dartz ignored him as he poured the content of the vial straight into Rex’s mouth, forcing it down his throat. Rafael held onto him as he squirmed as much as he could, but his struggle only lasted a couple of seconds before an eerie silence befell the group.

Bakura had seen the effect of a zombie bite on someone, and the amount of saliva that had entered the bloodstream could drastically affect the time in which the transition would begin. Gulping down walker saliva directly, now that had to be quite efficient and fatal, probably in a matter of minutes if not seconds.

It took less than a minute for the veins inside Rex’s eyes to pop and his pupils to dilate and start to turn milky white. Dartz stayed so calm it was unnerving. He just extended his hand to Alister once again who produced an ice pick from his utility belt. Bakura heard the change in the doomed man’s breathing, his fingers curling against fistfuls on soil where he lay on the ground as he fought the transition taking over him. When he lifted his gaze, it met Bakura’s and behind the creature slowly forming was the remains of an innocent man begging for his help.

The ice pick penetrated his skull right across his temples and the eyes went completely dead almost instantly. Rex’s body fell down like a puppet without strings and the violent shiver that shook Bakura made him want to throw up, but this time, it had nothing to do with his diabetes. Alister bent down to pick the body up and was simply asked to bury him with the other unworthy ones.

Dart turned his two-toned eyes his way, his face just as neutral as when he entered that tent mere minutes ago. “I’m not a monster, but I do kill them. Choices have to be made to keep this community alive, we humans have to help each other out in the spirit of fraternity and survival.”

The rage came at Bakura like thunder building before roaring. “But he was human too!”

The smile that appeared was downright demonic, although to anyone else, it might have appeared friendly. “Not anymore, he wasn’t.”

Bakura wanted to wipe that smirk off his face with his fists, but his body was still uncooperative and weak from his lack of insulin. When Rafael rounded him and seized him by his arms, he wanted to resist, but deep down, he was terribly scared of the prospect of suffering the same faith that Rex had.

“Drop him in the hole,” Dartz instructed. “Let’s give him some cold night air to calm his nerves and open up his mind.”

Bakura felt himself being led away and he could not help but allow it. His need to escape was strong, but his need to survive was stronger. Yugi would never forgive him if he got himself killed so recklessly. And he would never forgive himself for making the squirt worry about him and leaving him to fend for himself alone in this world. No, he had to focus on hope; the hope that he would find his way back to Yugi, but also the hope that Mai was still alive and well, and that she was smart enough to not get caught up in all that cultish mumbo jumbo. He doubted she would ever indulge such insanity, but in truth, he barely knew her and could only pray he was right about her.

He was thrown into a pit, barely deep enough for him to stand up, a large metal grate falling across the top, heavy enough to need two people to open. There was no way he could lift it from the inside on his own, especially in his weakened state. Dartz’s voice resonated inside his tiny prison cell, as a final warning before the night claimed the sky.

“After all, why waste a perfectly good human? Some just need more time to consider their options in this world.”

***

Thankfully, Jou and Yugi’s journey towards the next town was not too onerous. The only threat they had encountered was a small pack of about eight undead that, if Jou had been traveling alone, might have served a bit more of a challenge. However, with Yugi at his side, the pack had been quickly dismantled. He had barged forth with his trusty axe and had made quick work of the leading edge, while Yugi picked off the rest from afar with his crossbow. He had forgotten how much easier traveling could be with someone around to lend a hand.

By the time they had reached the outskirts of the next town, it was nearly sunset. Just like the first town, this one seemed still. Quiet. As they peered at the nearby buildings from their cover in the trees, the two men stopped to discuss the next phase of their plan.

“It looks like another abandoned town to me. And look, we have about an hour of sunlight left,” Jou pointed out. “We could find the pharmacy, check it out and be back on the road by nightfall.”

At his side, Yugi hummed absentmindedly. Those amethyst eyes did not seem reassured, and remained trained on the houses in various states of disarray along the periphery of the town. He looked to be deep in his thoughts, and being pulled deeper by the second. Whatever the guy was thinking was anyone's guess, but Jou could practically smell his uniquely coloured hair frying with all of that mental energy he was expending. Why was he holding up so much? This was exactly what they did with the last town. What he was suggesting was reasonable, especially coming from him… so why was Yugi so hesitant? 

Jou sighed roughly as he clapped a hand against Yugi’s shoulder, startling the shorter man out of his thoughts. “Well, what do ya think?”

“Ah, I don’t know, Jou. There’s something about this town that seems… off. There’s no smoke from the houses. No noise or... anything, really. Does it seem a bit too… clean to you?”

Jou blinked. “‘Too clean?’”

“Yeah, look at that road.” Yugi pointed towards the street between them and the houses. “There are no bones, no rubble, no trash or anything. All of the houses seem to have their windows intact too. It’s almost like it was not even touched by any of the ongoing chaos, just… empty.”

“Huh? We’re probably too far away to even see that sorta thing! And even if there is no crap anywhere, that doesn’t mean much. Maybe everyone left before they had to deal with the zombies? Or, ya know, animals could have come through and picked the town clean?”

His very plausible arguments did nothing to settle his now tightly wound companion. Patience dwindling, Jou watched Yugi chew his lip briefly in thought before giving his response. “Yeah, but there is practically no wildlife in the forest. What are the chances - ”

“Oh come on, don’t be such a worry wart!” Jou cried. “Ya should trust me more, I know how to survive out here. This will be just fine. Come on.”

“Jou, really, I don’t think we should…” Yugi glanced back towards his companion, but it was much too late. “Oh, great.”

Jou had already set off, determined and undeterred by Yugi’s warning. The distance between him and the first house was closed quickly, and with a seemingly effortless hop, he propelled himself over the chain link fence and into the unkempt backyard. If Yugi was too chicken to go into a clearly abandoned town, then he would just have to do it himself. Just think of what stuff could be laying around! Food, weapons, food, tools, food… maybe even that medicine Yugi was so bent on getting.

The sooner they got that insulin, the sooner they could start making their way back. He had wandered too far from the rendezvous point already and it was about time he tried to find his real partner again. Maybe the boss had had better luck finding them a new base. He would have liked to be the one to provide for sure, to show his partner that he was reliable and efficient. To show his partner he could be counted on. 

“Jou! Wait!” Yugi’s warning hiss sounded from a few meters behind him.

“Ah, ya grew a set after all.” Jou spun around to lean up against the brick wall of the house and shot a smirk at Yugi. Although the other never saw that smirk as he was currently attempting to scale the chain link fence with considerably less ease than Jou had displayed moments ago. He waited for Yugi to finally propel his small frame over, the crossbow and baseball bat fixed to his pack coming together with a loud snap as his feet hit the ground. With an irked look, Yugi jogged over to where Jou was resting up against the brick wall.

“Did you really have to go running off like that? I wasn’t finished,” he huffed, clearly annoyed.

Jou scoffed lightly. Even though he knew it was a little rude high tailing it like that, it was the only real way he could get out of that potentially eternal debate of the pros and cons of entering the town. Smart guys could be helpful, but they also often just slowed everything down. “I get why ya’d want to be careful, but if we are going to get your guy his medicine, we should get a move on here quick. Unless ya boy’s actually right here, we are going to have to trek back to him.”

The wariness lingered in his gaze, but nevertheless, Yugi reached back for his chain wrapped and nail studded baseball bat. As he rolled the worn wooden grip in his hand, he finally spoke. “You’re right. We need to do this. I need to shake this off for him.”

Jou almost went for a friendly nudge, but thought better. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s go.”

He took the lead, stepping over toppled lawn chairs and children’s toys as he made his way towards the front gate. Yugi was right, these houses were in much better shape than those in the last town. Their bricks remained in neat rows, unmarred by time nor trauma. The darkened windows of this bungalow were indeed intact, and a brief look inside the living room demonstrated a scene unlike anything he had seen since the apocalypse had gotten into full swing. Order! Immaculacy! Other than a thick layer of undisturbed dust that clung to every surface, the room was pristine.

“Hey Yug’, look.” Jou stopped so suddenly that his companion nearly collided into him. “I bet they have food.”

Yugi took one look through the window and pulled away as if he had been electrocuted. “Jou, that’s not a good sign, you know.”

“Yeah, it's a lil’ creepy, but come on, this is too good to pass up!” Jou protested, waving Yugi over towards the front door. “Just think about it, they may even have canned fruit! I haven’t had that in ages!”

Jou watched as Yugi shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. After a beat of silence, the shorter man let out a sigh and a small nod. “You go in and check it out. I will stay out here and keep a lookout.”

“A lookout’s a bit overkill, but hey, suit yourself,” Jou shrugged as he tried the door knob. To his surprise, it opened without resistance. Well, here’s to little victories.

He took his first somewhat steps through the doorway and into the small adjoining living room. His boots sink deep into the plush rug beneath his feet, kicking up small puffs of dust with every footfall. The bland decor of the living room was bathed in sepia tones from the thick layer of dust adherent to the windows. The air was thick and musty, as if there had been no air circulation in this room since its previous occupants had left. From his quick scan, there did not seem to be anything of much value. A couple couches, a small outdated TV. At least, nothing of value in today’s anarchic society.

The timbre of his footfalls changed as he reached the kitchen where the dust in the air was joined by mold. A bowl of rot sat in the angle of the L-shaped countertop, its previous contents almost unidentifiable due to decay and insect infestation. A moldy loaf of bread still in its bag rested next to it, the blues and blacks of the mold colonies apparent even in the dim lighting.

Uttering a low curse, Jou avoided the ruined foodstuffs and made his way directly for the pantry. Even though the items on the countertop were not appealing, the canned goods sure were. Corn, peaches, beans and…

“Soup!” Jou let out the word as a whoop, punctuated by a triumphant punch to the air. With a grin as wide as the grand canyon, he collected the two cans of beef barley and the can of chowder into his arms like long lost friends. Jackpot!

Trying his best to keep his mounting excitement at bay, he started filling his pack with as many of the cans as he could possibly carry. This load would be enough to feed both him and Yugi for several days, with plenty of stuff leftover for him and the boss when they reunite! Just as he was trying to cram one last can of beans into his pack, a sudden noise nearly made it fall from his grip.

BANG.

The sudden noise was punctuated by the shrill shatter of glass. Instinctively, Jou dropped low to the ground as his heart soared into his throat. What the fuck was that?

An incomprehensible command was followed by the sounds of a struggle. Then came a scream that could only belong to one person.

_ Shit, he was right… _ Jou felt the colour drain from his face. There were people in this town. As quietly as he could, he zipped up his pack and started moving towards the living room, keeping as low to the floor as he could. Maybe if he could keep the element of surprise, he could buffer his disadvantage a bit when he entered into this unknown, yet almost certainly violent ordeal. Yugi’s second scream ended his resolve.

Simultaneous fear and vexation consumed him, dragging him under. With a sigh that sounded almost like a snarl, he stood to his full height and grabbed his rifle. As he secured his now hefty backpack and disengaged the gun’s safety, he stomped through the living room in search of this fresh set of bastards that deserved a piece of his mind. Without hesitation, he burst through the front door and trained the barrel at the street.

“Let him go, ya bastards, or ya gonna eat lead.”

In the dusky avenue at the end of the driveway, the said bastards looked up from their initial target and surveyed their next. Jou quickly counted ten figures in total, three of which were crouched on the ground. Their clothes were fit for the late autumnal chill, although they were not kept in pristine condition by any means. Jackets and jeans were besmirched with various shades of red and black that he did not want to know the composition of. His sudden presence garnered a few murmurs and one surprised bark, prompting the raucous draws of several guns that trained on the newest arrival. Although the guns were definitely a problem, Jou could not stop staring at the half curled up form laying at the group’s feet. The man’s face was turned away, but Jou could recognize that jacket and hat anywhere by now.

“What the fuck did ya do to him?” he yelled, making a show of releasing his gun’s safety.

The three squatting men on the ground did not respond, but Jou’s outburst was not met by silence. A man parted the bodies, stepping to the forefront with a swagger that told Jou that he was the one calling the shots. He was clad in leather that was much more biker gang than practical. Numerous golden chains were draped across his nearly unbuttoned dark dress shirt, showing a distasteful unnecessary amount of chest hair. The greasy blond hair atop his head was pulled back in a ragged American flag bandana, a few strands came forth to fall across his forehead. His jaw worked thoughtfully against a stick inserted back towards his molars. He looked like a mob enforcer and a sleazy loan shark had some sort of a perverse love child and the first words out of his mouth continued to reinforce this notion.

“Only got what was coming to him.” The nonchalant yet crass southern drawl made Jou’s skin crawl. “Serves him right to try to come into  _ my town. _ ”

_ Definitely a grade A asshole, _ Jou thought. “He did nothing wrong. Let him go or else.”

“What makes you think you can dictate what goes on around here, boy? Who the hell do you think you are, coming into  _ my town,  _ flapping your gums like you own the place while pulling a rifle on me? Don’t you have a clue who you’re dealing with?”

Jou grit his teeth. “Don’t know, don’t care. Just give him to me, and we’ll go.”

A bark of laughter from the blond boss incited a wave of similar chortles from his goons. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. What  _ is  _ going to happen is that you’re gonna drop that gun, walk on over here, and you’re gonna get your ass handed to you too, boy. Then we will decide if we want to leave you on the roadside to die like this little guy, or if we’d rather toss you to the walkers.”

At the mention of Yugi state, Jou’s blood curdled. How hurt was he? From where he stood, he was not completely sure he could see Yugi breathing. Maybe it was just his thick jacket and tiny chest. Yeah, that had to be it. He was still alive, or else he would have been tossed aside by now and they would have already rushed him. Yugi was a resilient little bugger. He had to be fine. Right?

_ Also, why do I care? _

“You just gonna stand there all evening? Either you come down here yourself, or the little guy gets another round.”

From the back of the man’s pants, the largest and gaudiest pistol Jou had ever seen was pulled and trained on him.  _ Of course this fucker would be carrying a gold plated Desert Eagle… _ Jou griped internally at the excessive firearm. Nevertheless, Jou had only ever seen a gun purposely trained on a human with clear intent to kill a few times, but this particular instance was by far the most alarming. Not because the gun was pointed in his direction, but rather, because it was trained directly at Yugi.

That ridiculous gun seemed to both paradoxically speed up and slow time. Jou was running out of options, and if he did not decide on a plan soon, it would not matter what option he picked. There did not seem to be a way that he could get Yugi out of their hands without having to put himself at risk. He would have to give himself over. Unless…

Maybe. Maybe he could escape. He was a step away from the open door. All he had to do was turn. The walls would provide him with enough cover, and if he moved quickly, he could be out the back and into the woods before shots rang out again. It was all too easy and was exactly what his first impulse would have been only yesterday.

Something held him in place, though.

That curled up body laying among grimy boots was all he could see. He did not know the guy, not really at least, but he did not want to leave him here to die if there was a possibility he could be saved. Yugi had so much left to do, his tasks arguably as important as his own. By turning around now, he would not only be condemning Yugi to his death, but also Yugi’s partner. How could he forgive himself if he left now when there was still something left to try? How could he live with himself knowing he had done this to someone who had saved him before? been the cause of two deaths when he could have done something, anything to try and prevent that?

The realisation hit him.

He could not.

He was not a monster.

Not like the many he had met on his journey. Not like these men right in front of him.

His teeth bore into a grimace and the adrenaline coursed through his body anew. That settled it. He knew what he should do. What he wanted to do. What he had to do.

“Alright, alright. I’ll come down. Just hold ya fire, ok?” Jou called out, lowering the barrel of his rifle slowly.

“Leave that gun there and get your ass down here. No sudden movements,” came the sneered command.

_ He thinks he’s won. _ Jou mused to himself as he laid the rifle down at his feet and descended the two steps onto the driveway.  _ Let’s see about that. _

As he closed in on the gang, hands raised in mock surrender, he knew now was not the time to make his move. There were at least six guns held at the ready, and even if he was able to quickly disarm the first few, he would surely be riddled with bullets before he even had a chance to reach Yugi. He had to bide his time.

If he still had some time left.

As the distance between him and the group dwindled, an enticing addition to his plan formed in his mind. And he just  _ had _ to. Some would argue that this was not a decision. This was a reaction. A bold faced, idiotic, nearsighted reaction. He would have disagreed. There was a method to his madness. But first, he needed some actual madness. He stopped a mere strides length away from the boss.

_ Here goes nothing,  _ he thought.

And he spat in the ringleader’s face.

For a moment, time froze. Not a sound could be heard through the street. Not a breath. Not a rustle. Jou watched with immense satisfaction as the spittle dripped down that dirty, grizzled cheek. This asshole deserved it for what he had done to Yugi. Poor, annoying at times, but innocent Yugi. Jou stood a bit taller and allowed himself to smirk. It felt good. So good.

The resulting punch did not.

The crack from the blow was so resounding that it seemed to reverberate through Jou’s skull. His head snapped back quickly with the force of the blow, forcing him to take an involuntarily step backwards in order to keep himself upright. Hot blood ran in streams down his lips and chin, soon coating his fingers. He bit back the groan that wanted so desperately to be freed, and instead, chose to use his words instead.

“Is that all ya got? My grandma can punch better than ya!”

Through the haze of pain, Jou saw an irate flash cross those beady eyes. Then came the next blow to his cheek. The next followed in rapid succession, burying deep into his gut. Jou wheezed as the air was stolen from him.

“Fuck you, you little shit.” The enraged retort signified the success of stage one of Jou’s master plan. 

A kick to the side of his knee sent him reeling onto the asphalt. As he heard the boots near, and saw the flash of the gang boss’ eyes looming over him, he hunkered down for what was in store. Fists flew in a flurry, finding flesh, flanks and  _ fuck _ did it ever hurt. Even though he had been dealt some licks before, he could not even deny this one was one of the worst he had ever been through. A swift kick to the head. A flash of white. As the blood continued to drip pitifully from his nose, Jou felt himself fading. The pain had gone, transcending beyond the point of excruciating and into that odd state of near bliss that came with sensory overload. Before long, the white filling his vision dulled to grey, and then finally black.

***

It was unnerving how unlike himself he felt, holed up in a make-shift prison underneath the pristine starry sky, almost too clear to be real. Actually, that was not true at all. He had felt this turmoil inside him before, on one particular occasion: the first time he arrived in juvie. They had thrown him into an empty cell without a roomie. He thought he had been lucky, but the emptiness of the room once night had fallen had been hard to handle in reality.

He heard his surroundings slowly quiet down as people started settling for the night. The community as Dartz had called it was organized, that was for sure, but they were also batshit crazy from his point of view. He had met his fair share of gangs and groups in the last few months, and avoided all of them, but this… this was on a whole other level of fucked-up.

He sat down and took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm his nerves and his body that was starting to betray him yet again. He needed the contents of his pack soon. And his crowbar. For a brief second, he pictured himself smashing Dartz’s smug smile right off his face with his rusty weapon, but the fantasy unfortunately stopped right there. He knew he would only ever enact this fantasy if it came to securing his survival or protecting someone else. He would punch Dartz without any hesitation, break his legs if need be, yes, but kill him?

Once, he had felt he would not hesitate to kill someone in cold blood. However, the need had never arisen. But now, the hesitation to act clouded his fantasy. All this time, people had viewed him as some sort of monster too, some demon spawn to Ryou’s perfect angelic persona. Although his brother had always been on his side, he had been the only one. For so long.

Until the squirt squirmed his witty way into his mind.

And heart.

Shit.

_ Shit. _

His thoughts were interrupted by a now familiar voice whispering from above. He watched quietly as a bottle of water was dropped through the grate.

“Already mixed your juice, honey. Now drink it, so I can get you outta here and then we can run away from this fucking band of loonies!”

His eyes lifted up, and a part of him was relieved to see Mai staring back at him, but he frowned when he realised that, alone, she would not be able to lift both the boulder and the grate. Another face appeared next to her and his relief turned into angered panic.

“What the fuck?” he whispered harshly.

Valon was already squatting and moving the rock with Mai, and opening the grate as quietly as they could. He offered his hand to help Bakura out of the hole, but the white haired man swatted it away aggressively and demanded Mai an explanation before even trying to climb out of his own. She looked at him, trying to keep her voice leveled and calmed to avoid creating a commotion.

“Okay, I know you’re gonna be mad at me, but he’s coming with. He hates it here and he actually got our stuff back. Just… I don’t know, bear with it until we’re through with this rescue shit. Now’s not the time to whine about it!”

“She’s right, Snow White. I want out. So how about we get the fuck away from this hellhole before someone finds us and we get tortured too?” Valon offered his hand again, but Bakura still opted to pull himself out without stooping so low.

“This is so fucking wrong!” he said and turned to face the brunet. “I don’t trust you,” and he swiveled around to face the blonde now, “and I’m starting to doubt your sanity!”

After another hushed reminder from Mai that they needed to get out of there before being caught, their conversation ended and the three of them started jogging towards the edge of the camp and out into the dark forest surrounding them. The night was clear indeed, the moon lighting their path, and Bakura thanked their luck for not having to use any sort of light that would betray their position to both undead and human pursuers. They did not stop for a long while, making sure to put enough distance between them and the camp as quickly as possible.

Bakura could not tell where they were headed, or even where they were. He had never made it to this part of the woods the few times they had ventured in it, and he did not trust Valon to lead them anywhere. He grabbed Mai’s arm, halting her. They both gulped down air for a few seconds before they noticed that Valon was staring at them, an intense look of disgust in his eyes.

“Get your hands off her, you bastard!” he hissed at Bakura.

The white-haired man could only look at him like the lunatic he felt he was. Instinctively, his hand tightened around his crow bar he had kept in his hand while running. “You’re as fucking crazy as the rest of your squad!” he retorted, not in the mood to get patronized.

Mai took a step to insert herself between them, her eyes remaining on the brunet. Despite her stance seeming firm, Bakura could still perceive a minute tremor in her. “Valon, don’t do this!”

Valon chuckled dryly, and suddenly pulled a handgun from his jacket, making the other two escapees take a step back. They froze completely when he aimed at them, or more precisely, at Bakura. “She was the one that insisted I rescue you, for God knows what freaking reason! You’re just going to be in the way!”

He knew he should not be pushing his luck with the other, but the last few days had taken their toll on his patience. He did not need to reason with ridiculous children that played with dangerous toys. “Jesus fucking Christ, what the fuck are you rambling about?”

The blonde extended a calming hand towards their aggressor, trying to use a commanding yet understanding tone. “Valon, stop it!”

The gun shook in Valon’s hand, and it seemed as if he was slowly losing his cool. It was like madness was creeping into his mind, and he did not know how to handle it. But it seemed his main plan was still the same as he disengaged the safety of his handgun and his hand steadied, ready to aim perfectly. “No, I won’t. I’m going to put a bullet right through his head and be done with it!”

He knew he could try to dodge, that was probably his only option, although quite unrealistic. He was too far to try and knock the weapon out of Valon’s hand, and he also knew a bullet shot from this distance would surely kill him. And for a brief second, all he could think about was how Yugi would be pissed at him for dying on him like that.

The brunet had been so focused on Bakura that he missed the swift movement coming from Mai, and it was already too late. The whistle of a blade cutting through the air ended with a sickening crack as a knife lodged itself into Valon’s skull, right between his eyes. With eyes that would forever remain open and his finger still on the trigger, he fell to the ground, dead without a doubt.

There was a heavy silence in the air, as Bakura stood stupefied by what had just happened. Mai did not even move for a few seconds, and then she coldly walked to Valon’s body and tugged her knife harshly out of his head, wiping it on his clothes before resheathing it in her thigh holster.

But she had yet to look back at Bakura, her gaze remaining focused on some invisible line in the distance.

When he finally found his voice, it was to say three simple words. “You killed him.”

Mai pushed a few stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear, and sighed. “He was going to kill you…”

He was quiet as she started explaining how Valon had approached her earlier today. He kept talking about how he wanted out, how he did not know this was some sort of a cult at the beginning, how he felt disgusted by what they were doing. And she had tentatively asked him for help, and he had even gotten their stuff back and thought of the best way to get them out.

She walked back towards him, her eyes still on the ground, and she seemed like she did not know what to do with her idle hands. “I don’t know where this backlash came from, I swear. I just acted out and-“

“You killed a man,” he just repeated.

Why? Why did it shock him so much? He had seen and caused countless deaths by now, he should be used to the violence of this reality. But this death was different. This was a human, not some nameless undead hungry for his flesh and brains. This had been a man, albeit a very disturbed one, but still a man. And he himself had not had trouble with hitting, kicking, beating… but killing?

He heard her words, and they felt like a slap to his face. “And what, you haven’t?”

He wanted to say no. He wanted to be that man that had fought all of his demons and could proudly believe himself now to be beyond the monster he was once perceived as. But he could not. Not anymore. Because he too had once killed someone.

_ The voice was meant to be soft, reassuring. “You had to. She asked you to.” _

_ His reply was harsh, like always. “That doesn’t make it right!” _

_ Violet eyes searched for his, and his wise response broke him. “Maybe not, but it doesn’t make it wrong either.” _

“You’re right,” he confessed. “And this asshole probably deserved it more than she did.”

He needed to stop thinking about it, about everything. This was not time for inner feelings and all. They were still stuck in the middle of nowhere, and the possibility of being attacked by a horde of undead was heavy on his mind. They could not fight in this darkness, not as well as the zombies who did not rely on sight to find them.

Mai looked directly at him, her eyes filled with determination and back to their ‘taking-no-shit’ glare. “Wanna talk about it under the moonlight?”

He was actually thankful for her retort, using humour to defuse this sudden awkwardness. “Nope.”

She smirked at him as she pulled her machete out, her head giving a short nod in the direction they were previously headed. “Wanna get out of here then?”

He pushed any intrusive thoughts back, channeling his inner need for survival to face the rest of the night. “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

They both started jogging again, never once glancing back at Valon’s body on the ground.

***

A rough impact pulled Jou from his uneasy sleep. His cheek was pressed against frigid corrugated metal, jostling none too lightly with every bounce of the floor beneath him. He heard an engine sputtering, the smell of partially combusted diesel filling his nose. Even though wherever he was right now was dim, the faint light that seemed to oscillate in front of his eyes still felt much too bright to his foggy eyes. Cool air ruffled his hair and sent a chill down his limbs towards painful and contorted fingers. At the very top of his vision, he spied the telltale tailgate of a pickup truck. Although, one additional and disconcerting item fell between him and possible escape: a pair of blood covered leather boots, feet firmly planted within. Making sure to not move his head too much, Jou rolled his eyes upwards to see who the feet belonged to.

It was one of the goons. Great. This whole thing was not going as planned. He never expected them to take him away from the houses. Now the question was, why would they go through the trouble of loading him up into a truck? He had hoped that they would just rob him, toss him, and hopefully Yugi out of town and be done with them. Sure, there was a chance they could just kill them outright, but really, that would be extra energy and extra steps, and he really banked that none of these ruffians were really the killing type. Thankfully, they did not seem to be. At least, not right now.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jou caught sight of another form against the flatbed just beyond his grasp. He shifted incrementally, trying to ensure that his movements did not garner any of the goon’s attention. Sure enough, an askew touque came into view, violet tipped hair poking out from within. Its cream bands and orange details were now spotted with patches of dried blood and mud. Jou resisted the urge to reach out and check on the other man. It had to be a good sign that they would bring Yugi too. No point bringing a guy anywhere if he was dead, right? Unless…

An icy fear gripped Jou’s chest. He still could not tell if Yugi was breathing. Maybe he was-

Were they going to take them to a place to dump Yugi’s body, and kill him there too?

_ Shit, shit, shit! Think. Think of something! _

Jou willed his brain to work, but it obstinately refused. His head felt like it was splitting, the pain impeding any specter of a plan from developing. Fighting against the pain and panic, he returned to the basics. What did he see? From his vantage point, there was at least one goon sitting watch and one driving. Who knows, maybe there were more sitting beyond his field of view? If he tried to get up now and take them down, he may have a shot if there was only one or two before the driver noticed. If there were more ruffians with guns sitting up with the driver though, he would be in an even deeper predicament then he was now.

The truck ran over a patch of uneven pavement, and Jou’s head smacked painfully against the metal again. Jou let his eyes shut, his ribcage now on fire and worsening with every breath. Usually this brute-force plan would have been a no-brainer on any other occasion, but because he was almost certain that he had broken at least a half dozen bones, he did not trust his body to cooperate with said plan. If he tried to get to his feet and failed, there was a good chance that he would have given himself a death sentence.

_ Come on, think… _

As he willed the answer to come, someone else’s plan was put into motion. A muffled grunt followed by a brief scuffle broke the last of Jou’s resolve to stay still. As he lifted his head to look towards the commotion, his eyes widened. A bruised and bloodied Yugi was on his feet, the large shiner blooming around his right eye catching in the faint light. Yugi grimaced as he aimed a rifle steadily towards the goon that was doubled over.

“You’re gonna pay for that, small fry,” the goon wheezed, raising his face to look at his assailant.

“Don’t move a muscle.” Yugi’s voice was cool, any note of its usual easy, friendly cadence gone. He meant business. Jou idly wondered if this meant Yugi would actually shoot if he needed to. He had seen the resolve in the other at certain points these past few days, but would he ever go as far as shooting someone in cold blood? Well, maybe if it meant their survival?

Clearly the goon had the same doubts. “What are you gonna do, shoot me?” the man barked incredulously, ignoring the threat made by the smaller man and sitting up slowly. “You don’t have the balls—”

Yugi sure did.

Yugi’s rifle shot rung out in the night, the bullet slicing cleanly through the top of the goon’s blood covered boot. The man let out a howl as he doubled over again, eyes wide in shock as he stared at his mangled foot.

“Jou, now!” Yugi yelled, quickly throwing the rifle and the backpack in the corner of the flat bed out the side. “We have to go!”

Jou’s body started to move before he was even aware of it. As he finished scrambling unsteadily to his feet, Yugi had just finished throwing his crossbow and Jou’s axe out of the truck when a second shot fired, so close that Jou’s ears rang.

“Leave the rest, Yugi! Let’s go!” Jou yelled as he darted for the side. The pavement streaked by at a dizzying pace as the truck continued along. He was out of options though. With a grunt, Jou heaved himself over the edge and tucked into a haphazard roll as he fell towards the pavement. The air was knocked from his lungs as he hit the ground harder than he anticipated. His violent rolls eventually stopped and he scrambled to his hands and knees readying himself to flee. To his relief, Yugi was doing the same thing a couple meters ahead of him.

Red light spilled onto the pavement, flooding his vision. Fuck. The truck was stopping. They had to go. Now.

“They’re coming back,” Yugi pointed out. 

“Yeah, grab something and let's go!” Jou yelled.

The two men scrambled for the few weapons that they had saved and Jou tossed the one pack, -- Yugi’s -- that they had managed to salvage and made a beeline for the ditch. With every step he took, Jou fought against his body. His head and ribcage ached, and his left ring finger was almost certainly broken. But now was not the time to focus on the pain, but rather, to use it to fuel his residual adrenaline. If they stopped now, there would only be more pain. Or worse, none at all.

On blazing lungs and unsteady feet, the two men ran past houses and through several backyards in the hopes of finding the way out of this town. A minute in, their injuries forced them to slow their pace. But just as their weary feet nearly signalled the end, they rounded a corner to see something almost miraculous.

The small street had a few deserted businesses situated in quaint little brick buildings lined up in a row. Jou also spied an abandoned gas station, a small trendy looking boutique and a…

Yugi’s voice was filled with so much hope it literally hurt. “Jou look! A pharmacy!”

“Keep it down.” Jou’s eyes flitted to Yugi in warning, but the smaller man had already set off towards the door.

Jou hobbled across the street slowly, watching Yugi yank on the doorknob fruitlessly. Just as he reached Yugi’s side, the smaller man swung his crossbow around in an almost desperate swing. Metal impacted the window next to the door with force, causing shards to shatter and scatter.

“Yugi, we’ve got to be —”

“Quick, I know. I just… this is important.” Yugi’s protest was pained and weary, but the undercurrent remained. He needed to do this, and there was nothing Jou could do to stop him.

“Ok, ya’ve got two minutes.” Jou nodded. “I’ll keep watch. Ya know these assholes are probably going to find us if we don’t leave here fast.”

“Two minutes is all I need.”

Jou watched as Yugi finished clearing a safe path for himself and hoisted himself gingerly through the window frame, slightly favouring his right shoulder. Pushing away the surprising amount of concern he was feeling, Jou turned and looked out into the dim street. The night was silent. No engines, no voices. There were no fires, lights or any sign that this part of town was populated. There would have been a time when this sort of abandoned eerie stillness would have driven Jou up the wall. But now, in this chaotic world where each noise could mean danger, this was one of the most comforting environments he could think of. No one else around meant no threat.

A small exhilarated exclamation sounded from inside the building and Jou bit back a smile. That dork must have found it.

When Yugi finally reappeared at the window carrying an armful of vials, syringes and needles, Jou paused as the joy radiating from his companion cut right through any defenses he had left. The man was so, so happy, holding the medications like a child would a gift on Christmas morning. The relief and excitement was practically palpable.

_ He must really care for that guy…  _ Jou thought with a smile. “Here, let’s put that in the bag for safe keeping, huh?”

Once the vials of insulin were safely stowed, the two men made their way through the town, relishing their freedom once they hit the safety of the familiar forest once again.

He could not fight the smile that appeared on his lips as he motioned out of town. “Now, let’s get the fuck outta here, shall we?”


	6. Fifth day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that hurts._

Pain. A pervasive ache compounded by the chill that seemed to seep through every bit of skin or exposed appendage at the mercy of the elements. His sleep had been downright terrible and much too short.

The sky was that dusky periwinkle that came right before the dawn. They had made it to see another sunrise, much to Jou’s surprise. These last twenty four hours had been testy. Their time in that town had not gone as planned, and they were left to pick up all the pieces. The remainder of their supplies, half of which were lost to that gang in their escape.

All of their canned goods.

All of that soup.

All for naught.

They were also left to pick up the pieces of themselves. Every time Jou shifted in his makeshift hammock, he became even more aware of just how broken he had become. He was certain that his nose and the fourth finger on his left hand had been fractured during the beat down. It felt like a crowbar was splitting open his ribcage with every breath he took. That probably meant he had a few broken ribs too on top of the dozens of bruises peppering his skin. He was no doctor, but he made a mental note to make sure that he ran all this by Yugi. Maybe there was something he could do or some pain medications in the guy’s bag that could help.

It was not even just his body that was falling apart. His mind was too. This world was tough even for the toughest ones, Jou knew this. But these last few days were some of the harshest he had to face. He had stared death multiple times in the eyes and somehow lived to tell the tale. He hoped that the boss had not had to go through anything nearly as dangerous. A small spark lit within his chest as his mouth spread into an involuntary, but easy smile. Even if she did, he knew she could handle it. She could handle anything.

_ “Jou, get your ass up! You’ve got to see this.” _

_ Jou opened his eyes reluctantly. Why was she making so much noise so early in the morning? It was Sunday, their only day off, and they had both promised to let the other sleep. Although knowing Mai and her busybody self, he had come to expect that sort of pact to be broken. _

_ He lifted his head off the pillow, bedhead bangs falling into his eyes as he stared blearily out the bedroom door. The kitchen lights were on and spilling into the hallway beyond and he could smell the coffee brewing. The muffled voices of a news reporter faintly registered, much too far away to make any sense of what was being said.  _

_ “For fuck’s sake, get up!” came the call again. Jou blinked at the tone. She was not teasing. It also was not her boss voice. She almost sounded… scared? That had to be wrong, right? Mai was practically fearless. In the ten months that they had been together, he had never seen her scared of anything. _

_ A sinking feeling in his stomach, Jou rolled out of bed and pulled on the first t-shirt and shorts he could find. He walked over towards the living room, his bare feet slapping lightly against the hardwood floor as he ran a hand through his ruffled hair to push it out of his eyes. From the tone of the reporter, it sounded like a big story was breaking. Maybe a natural disaster, or a serial killer or something? Mai was probably pissed that they were not in the field today getting the glory. He snorted lightly. Mai always loved to be in the center of the action. _

_ However, as he rounded the corner into the living room, his initial guesses were proved wrong. Well, something big was happening indeed, but it was just beyond his comprehension. _

_ There had been grumblings of a virus for some time now that had sounded straight out of the movies. The first known person had been infected a week ago, but the details of what this new pathogen did were kept tightly under wraps. _

_ Well, until today. _

_ What exactly had been said by that reporter did not stay with Jou for very long. The words, the phrases and specifics all evaded him. What did stick was the pandemonium that played out before his eyes. According to the broadcast, the number of cases had been rocketed sky high, and the first signs of societal breakdown were starting. The stock markets plummeted. Grocery stores were being ransacked and overrun by worried citizens preparing for the unknown. Most of all, the first leaked video of someone infected had been seared into his brain. The sloughing skin akin to a corpse already dead for several days. The white eyes, the putrid teeth. Jou could not look away from the horrific scene. _

_ A voice reached out into his thoughts. “Hun? Did you hear anything I just said?” _

_ “Mmm, no.” Jou mumbled, still very much caught in his transfixed state. _

_ “The virus is no longer isolated to Tokyo.” Mai informed from her perch on their couch. Despite the ease of her posture, her eyes betrayed her inner trepidation, although she was clearly working hard to mask it. Jou found himself often wishing she would not. “I think we may have to hit the streets and start making sure the world knows about what this virus does.” _

_ That captured his attention. “And put ourselves in harm’s way? Like I know I’ve done some stupid shit in the past, but even I know that’s a fucking bad idea. Why would ya even consider that?” _

_ “People need to know, Jou. We offer an essential service as journalists. Without us, the world would be blind.” _

_ “Yeah, but isn’t this a little extreme, boss?” Jou shot a hand towards the television as if to emphasize his point. “The government has just put out a state of emergency and told us all to stay holed up inside and you want to go out there with those  _ THINGS? _ ” _

_ “Well if not us, then who will?” Mai retorted as she got to her feet. “These things can’t scare me away that easily, and they shouldn’t scare you too.” _

_ At the end of her sentence, Mai cocked her head back as if to prove her determination and commitment. Jou bit his lower lip briefly to keep the smile from his face. He loved that look. Loved that fire that seemed to burn deep within her, flaring up whenever she would get on her passion projects. That fire was both brilliant and inspiring, but conversely, often threatened to swallow him whole should he get too close. He had been burned many times, but still came back for more. _

_ The corner of Jou’s mouth twitched. “I’m not scared.” _

_ Mai closed the gap, her eyes raking Jou’s scraggly form before pulling him in for a brief, yet passionate kiss. “I knew I kept you around for something.” _

_ Jou snickered. “More than just my good looks?” _

_ Mai let out a chuckle of her own, low and almost sensual. “Don’t go getting any ideas, hun.” _

Jou blinked at the sky as he pulled himself from the memory. Those first few weeks covering this story turned out to be even more onerous than they both could have imagined. As society fell apart, so did their work. Soon, this state of chaos evolved into a new way of life. Or rather, a new void of life. Most of the citizens of Domino City had either perished and joined the ranks of the reanimated dead, or left the city in hopes of finding safety. From what Jou had heard from the last organized newscasts before the power grid died, safe zones were few and far in between.

After a while, they were forced out of Domino as well for that same reason. Gangs had started to overrun the town, limiting access to remaining supplies and demolishing entire city blocks in an attempt to secure their hard-won safety. If you were not a part of them, you were against them, trying to coexist, although nowhere near peacefully. After a particularly bad run in that Jou refused to recall, even the fearless Mai had decided that it was best if they left what was once their home.

Jou screwed his eyes shut. He really missed her and home right now.

A low voice called close to him. “Hey, are you awake?”

With a sigh Jou rolled in his nest and peered out the side. “Now I am, yeah.”

Since they had lost Jou’s pack with his sleeping gear and supplies while trying to escape the gang back in the last town, they had decided that it was best if they split up the night and took turns sleeping. They could have risked resting on the ground, but in a forest with undead milling around, that was a recipe for disaster. Besides, half of a night’s sleep was better than none at all.

Or better than dying.

Definitely better than dying. 

“We should get moving.” Yugi called from below. He looked disheveled, his hair poking out of his hat at all ends, but was fully dressed and shuffling his feet slightly in impatience. Now that they had found the insulin, he clearly was in a hurry to get back to his base and his partner.

Jou snorted lightly to himself. “Alright, alright. Hold ya horses. We will get on the road here soon, lover boy.”

“I’m— I’m not…” Yugi stuttered, a clear effort being made to push back against the quip. “Just hurry up, ok?”

Jou guffawed at the feeble attempt, but did as he was told without further protest. The guy did have a point. The sooner they hit the road, the sooner he would see Mai. The sooner he would feel like himself again, with her by his side.

Once packed, Yugi dug out his map and compass, further impressing the importance of strength in numbers and ample planning to ensure they stay out of trouble. Yugi’s plan was to head back towards their base where he had told his partner to wait and to deliver the medication promptly. In return, Jou would have free use of the base for as long as he needed, with the possibility of sharing the base longer term. The deal was too good to turn down. Now that was something the boss would be proud of: a safe place for both of them to share.

“So the base is a few hours east of where I found you, so all we need to do is head back north east for a couple of days. I think we should take a different path this time, though. If we go through the first town again, it will add time.We should just stick to the forests and make a straight shot for the base.” Yugi propositioned, looking up from his map and compass to make sure that Jou was on board. Even though he had a healthy distaste of compasses, the blonde could not think of a better plan.

“Alright, short stuff. Let’s see how good your navigational skills are.”

The first hour or so of their trek was completed in silence, the only sounds heard being their footfalls and the howling wind. As time passed, the wind continued to intensify, and the cold it delivered became harder and harder to stave off. Jou cursed those assholes back at the last town. He could have used a few more layers. 

Soon, the dead leaves at their feet became dusted with a fine powdered snow. Those flakes, although small in size, added another layer of treachery to their already unfortunate situation. Jou blinked rapidly and held his forearm up against his eyes to shield them against the snowflakes threatening to blind him. Of course nothing could be easy. The weather just  _ had _ to turn against them like the world did. Just his luck. Just his fucking luck.

Even though his travelling partner walked a couple steps in front of him, he could barely make out his form in the flurry. Twice his own boots nearly slipped on an obscured rock, leading to precarious stumble. The last thing that either of them needed was another injury after their recent run in with that gang in the last town. With every step, Jou’s ribs pleaded their protest and he could barely breathe out of his nose with all of the swelling.

A sudden cry from in front of him alerted Jou to his falling companion. Yugi’s feet slid out from under him, and he tumbled to the snow with a harsh thud, skidding slightly before coming to a stop.

“Yuge! Ya ok there?” Jou called out against the howl.

“Mhhhh, fine.” Yugi’s response was clipped and pained. When he did not move, Jou felt a small tug of worry at the fringes of his mind. The guy had taken quite the beating back at the last town, and despite his attempts to see just how severe his injuries were, Yugi kept brushing him off and turning the attention back to tending to his own wounds. Maybe he was hurt more than he had let on? What if something serious was going on and Yugi refused to acknowledge it before it was too late?

Also, why did he  _ care  _ at all?

Actually, no. Why did he care  _ so much _ ?

Jou finally reached the other man, crouching down in front of Yugi in the hopes that his back would break some of the wind. “Do ya need help?”

Yugi pulled himself up to sit. Half of his hat was covered in snow and his mouth twisted in a stiff pout. “Thanks but I can manage. I’m ok.”

“Sure, ya really do look ok right now.” Jou’s words dripped with sarcasm and doubt as he stared down into those defiant amethyst eyes. “We should find a place to hunker down and wait out this storm.” Just to make sure he got his point across and pushed the decision on the other even more, he added: “And honestly, I could use a rest too.”

Yugi seemed like the type of guy who could not refuse that kind of request, even if he needed the rest as much as Jou. He would not allow himself to rest, but he would allow it for someone else. He stared back at him in contemplation for a moment before he gave a small nod. “The wind has really been picking up. I think you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right!” Jou guffawed as he stuck out a hand. “Alright, let’s get ya up and let’s find some place safe, huh?”

To his surprise, Yugi accepted his help easily.

***

_ He thought that after their confrontation back when they were teenagers that Yugi would leave him alone for good. _

_ He should have known better. That squirt was one of the most stubborn bastards he had ever had the displeasure of meeting. At first, Yugi’s interactions with him did change, but he noticed that something had not: Yugi still looked at him the same way. There was never a trace of fear or resentment in his gaze, unlike everyone else when they had been faced with his wrath. It almost seemed like he kept his distance out of respect instead of fear, which totally threw him off. _

_ Bakura completed his studies in mechanics, using his hands for something more useful than fistfights, while both his brother and Yugi went on to university, both training respectively in law and medicine. As soon as he could, he moved out of his parents’ place and into the apartment over the repair shop he now worked at. His boss had somewhat taken a liking to him, god only knew why. He never dealt with customers directly, preferring to focus on the machines he was so much better at understanding. They were easier to deal with than humans and were hardly ever disappointed in him. _

_ Ryou had also moved out to room with Yugi in an apartment downtown. Why Yugi came around the repair shop was a mystery to him, although he kept insisting it was half-way between university and home. At first, he came around and waited for Ryou to be done with his studies for the day so they could head home together. Bakura had pestered him about waiting at the school’s library instead, but Yugi had said he needed the background noise of the machines to focus. The white-haired boy had stopped bothering and simply let him use his small office space, ignoring him most of the time. _

_ He knew Yugi loved med school even though he had been pressured by his parents to attend. He had, however, chosen to stay close to home and attend Domino University’s med school instead of going to the best place money could offer. His choice had angered his relatives, hence also explaining why he had moved out. He rarely talked about it, but Ryou had mentioned a good couple of times over the year how Yugi did not like being the ‘perfect’ son his parents and everyone else wanted him to be. Bakura could not care less about this ridiculous identity crisis. At least the squirt had parents that cared about him, unlike him. _

_ He also remembered one time when Yugi had stumbled in the shop, completely shitfaced in the middle of the afternoon and spurted out how he was tired of trying to be something he was not and that pleasing everyone should not be his responsibility. Bakura had led him to the small couch at the back of the shop, and Yugi had crashed on it immediately. When the shorter man had awoken hours later, he had looked like shit. He had asked for a glass of water and two aspirins before leaving without another word, and they had never spoken about that day again. _

_ That had happened almost a year prior. _

_ This fateful day, Yugi was sitting in the mechanic shop office cross-legged on a desk chair, highlighter in hand, head buried in a thick biology textbook. He alternated between annotating his manual and chewing on the plastic lid of his marker, a habit Bakura noticed he fell into whenever he was deep in thought. The mechanic had been struggling to get the workings on a motor perfectly right, and he desperately needed a short break to ease his grated nerves. _

_ With a rough sigh, he plopped down on the stained couch. Yugi barely reacted to his presence in the office as Bakura took out his phone and swiped down his list of tunes. However, Yugi remained in his periphery, and he could not help but notice how the other had changed over the years. He’d kept the same weird yet very fitting hair, and had managed to tame his eyeliner into a fine art instead of the raccoon look he used to sport in high school. His style had also evolved, more refined in a way, but retained that punkish edge that Bakura knew drove Yugi’s parents crazy. _

_ Sometimes he wondered if Yugi did some of these things just to spite his parents. It was hard to tell, hard to know if the Yugi he put out was the real him or just some version of himself that he had created to annoy his relatives as much as he could. Deep down, there was a tiny part of him that hoped the picture perfect son he did put out sometimes was the fake one. He wanted to believe that the real Yugi was the one he showed around his brother Ryou. If not, then Yugi would pay hell if that was not the case. Ryou deserved better than fake. Much better. _

_ “I’m wondering if I should be flattered or disturbed that you’re paying that much attention to me…” _

_ Bakura had not realized how long he had been staring, his thumb having stopped scrolling for some time now. Yugi had swiveled the chair around and was now facing him, his manual and highlighter placed neatly on the desk behind him. His head was perched on his hands, elbows on his knees. He was peeking at him over the cellphone between them, his gigantic purple eyes inquisitive. _

_ “Do you need something?” Bakura asked, finding it very difficult to disengage from that gaze. _

_ “I… actually, I do.” The hesitation in Yugi’s voice should have warned him enough. _

_ He sighed heavily and dropped his phone on the couch next to him. “Well, then get it yourself. I’m not going to get it for you, Preppy.” _

_ It all happened so fast that for a moment, he just froze there as Yugi went from sitting on the chair to straddling him and pressing his lips against his, both hands grabbing at his shirt. _

_ What the fuck was happening?! _

_ He regained his senses quickly and promptly pushed the other off his lap and onto the floor unceremoniously. Yugi connected with the concrete with a soft thud and stared up at him, surprise and apprehension in his eyes. But he did not say anything. He just kept silent and that look thrust the white haired boy deeper into insanity. _

_ “Are you fucking nuts?! What the fuck was that about?!” _

_ Yugi bit his lip and lowered his gaze, hiding his eyes away from him. “I’m… nothing. I’m sorry.” _

_ “Hell no, you’re not getting away that easily!” Bakura growled. “What the fuck were you doing?! Did you think it would be fun or something to fuck up your pretty boy image by screwing with the resident psycho, huh?”  _

_ He saw the immediate tension in Yugi’s shoulders form, and the fingers supporting his weight on the ground curl up into fists. The shorter boy got up from the floor and grabbed his backpack and manual swiftly before fleeing the scene without even a second look at Bakura, who was left angry and confused in the aftermath of what had just transpired. _

Bakura woke up with a start, but by now, he was used to waking up abruptly. But being awoken by a memory of one of the times he wished he could take back... that was new. Dammit. The squirt’s absence was starting to affect every little aspect of his life.

Yugi had never come back to the shop after that time. The next time he had seen him was three months after that, when he went to his brother’s apartment downtown as soon as news of the infection had started spreading.

And his heart had stopped a little at the sight of those eyes after those months that had felt longer than he would ever admit.

Things had been quite awkward at the beginning between them, even amongst the small quartet. However, to Yugi’s benefit, he had not been the one to make things so tense. He had been his usual self, and despite the horrifying unknown evolving around them, he was even more resilient than Bakura would have ever given him credit for. As days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, he had come to realise that the man in front of him was the true Yugi, the one hidden underneath everyone’s expectations and questionable fashion choices. The one that wanted to be happy, that needed to help any way he could. The one that was smart beyond measure, that cared for his friends probably more than he ever did for himself.

The one that, slowly but surely, Bakura was regretting having treated like shit.

There was not a shred of manipulative intention behind anything Yugi did. Just like there probably had not been behind that first kiss he had landed on him.

He just cared.

He truly did.

_ “Just… I love you, okay?” _

Rustling close to him ripped him away from his memories. “Well, that rest wasn’t worth much…” Mai grumbled from above him, having settled in a slightly higher branch from the tree next to his.

Last night, they had ran far away from the clearing for at least a good hour to put distance between themselves and the camp of psychos they had just escaped. Unfortunately, it had been hard for them to see in which direction they should head due to the thickness of the trees and the pitch-black night surrounding them. They had decided to get as much sleep as they could before dawn came and exposed them to even more danger.

Both had a compass amongst their belongings, but except for the fact that they should head in a consistent direction, they really had no idea where to go next. Bakura remembered his base was west of Domino, but right now, there were no landmarks indicating in what direction the large city was. On to plan B then. Even though it was a gamble, they decided to try and aim for one of the larger roads that had to be around here and use it to find a town. Finding any town would help place them on the map and pinpoint where they were currently. Bakura just hoped it would not be the  _ last  _ town...

Walking right in the middle of the highway seemed surreal, but their feet were not complaining. The uneven forest floor was made for twisting ankles and biting into soles, even with good boots. It was a reprieve to walk on more solid ground, although after not even fifteen minutes, they opted to go back to the edge of the woods, the vulnerable feeling of travelling out in the open and visible for anyone to spot being too intense for both of them.

Being closer to the trees also cut off the wind that seemed to be picking up. It brought along a familiar scent that both dreaded, something akin to the eye of a storm, but with a heavy hint of cold. Very cold. Bakura tightened Yugi’s scarf around his neck a little closer, and Mai pulled up her fur-trimmed hood over her head.

Soon, they could see a town coming up and they approached it with caution, like they had done in the previous town too. Dartz’s troupes or another gang might be raiding the place. There could also be undead hiding amongst the houses and shops.

But this is not what had them stopping as they neared the town.

The place seemed really… off.

There was an eerie sense of quiet surrounding it, the same quiet you get right after people whispering rumours suddenly shut up as the subject of those rumours appeared. It almost seemed like the whole town itself had stopped with the infection, and that no one had tried to disturb it since. It felt like a picture frozen in time, dusted by the months of isolation that passed right by it.

“I don’t like this,” Bakura let out instinctively.

“You and me both…” Mai replied.

Still, he knew they needed to enter if they were to ever find a way to orient themselves if they did not want to walk and find another town. That would take another day at minimum, and they did not have time for that. Yugi had said one week. Bakura would make sure he was back before that deadline.

“So let’s make this the quickest in and out ever. And, I don’t know, let’s grab a map or anything while we’re at it and then get the fuck out, alright?” he said.

Mai nodded, probably understanding just as much as he did about the predicament they were in. She may not have the time limit he did, but she knew that this town held information that was needed for them to keep going. “Agreed. But wouldn’t you want to check if your friend may have passed through here?”

Bakura stretched like a cat about to pounce on its prey, making sure his limbs were warmed up enough in case they needed to make a break for it. “Knowing the squirt, he did not. He’s way too intelligent to fall for a trap like this.”

Mai pulled out her shotgun from her bag, checked if it was loaded, then restrapped it to her back in favour of her more silent but deadly machete. “So that makes us, what? Really fucking dumb?”

He sent a smirk her way. He was kind of starting to enjoy her sassiness. “No, I’d settle for reckless.”

She smiled back deviously. “Much better.”

With that, they both started sprinting towards the town. The sound of their footsteps was muffled by the dead, yet abundant grass under their feet, just as sparse snowflakes started falling softly from the sky. 

***

It had taken several minutes, but eventually the two men found a partially rotten and hollowed out log big enough for them both to use as cover. The snow has started to accumulate more now, the wind blowing it into small drifts beyond their boots. Although they had settled in the log and were mostly sheltered from the wind, the bite of the cold still proved to be an adversary. As part of their preparations, they had taken the tarps and bed roll from their remaining pack and had built a small shared space where they could hopefully find some warmth. It was a miserable situation, but there was one good thing about blizzards. Zombies were scarce in inclement weather, and even if a few continued to stumble around, they were often slowed down and ineffectual at best.

From beside him, he could see Yugi’s coat twitching with his shivers as his muscles worked overtime to generate some heat. Despite the pain and misery he must be in, Yugi did not complain. He looked merely contemplative as he gazed out at the blowing snow. His black eye was stark against his mottled, pale skin. Curled up, knees to his chest, he looked almost pitiful, but Jou knew he was not. He had seen what this man could do, and over the last few days, he had developed a respect for this tenacious little guy. He had even become his friend in a way, going so far as to offering to share his base for a bit. Such a generous gesture had not been lost on Jou. He just wished he could do something in return.

Jou was not faring any better in the cold, his teeth involuntarily chattering no matter how hard he tried to clench his jaw. He wished he had another few tarps and sleeping rolls. Or maybe an actual heated house. That would be nice. Wishful thinking, but still nice to think about. The makeshift structure they had built was nowhere near as robust enough for what their bodies needed right now. It kept out the snow, but hardly fended off the cold.

A small sniffle sounded from his companion. “Hopefully this storm stops soon. We need to keep going.”

Jou let the silence hang, the unvoiced connotation not lost on him. Yugi clearly wanted to check on his partner back at the base. He could practically see the worry and the impatience starting to eat away at Yugi with each passing minute.

_ This guy must mean so much to him,  _ Jou thought. He could only imagine what else was going on inside Yugi’s head, grand plans shelved as he sat here at the mercy of the elements. The other did not seem like the kind of person who liked standing still, and he was being forced to do just that.

“Tell me about ‘im.” Unlike the other times when Jou asked this question, it was much more kind.

“What?” Yugi looked up from the ground to meet his eye.

“The guy back at your camp. The one you’re getting the medicine for.”

Yugi fell silent again, and Jou wondered if he was going to deflect once more like he had the times before. It was infuriating, but also understandable in a way. He just wanted to keep the people he cared about safe, and Jou respected that. He was doing the exact same thing.

“His name is Bakura.” Yugi said slowly, his eyes drifting back down.

Jou did not know why, but just getting a name was a huge step, it seemed. “How do you know him?”

He could see the hint of a smile forming on Yugi’s lips. “I’ve known him since I was a kid. I was best friends with his twin brother Ryou growing up.”

The blonde did not notice the use of past tense, only the reference to another person at their camp. “Really? That’s cool! So there’s three of ya at the base then?”

A brief look shot across Yugi’s eyes that froze Jou more than the blizzard ever could.

Shit.

“I, ah, I’m sorry…” he apologized clumsily.

“It’s ok. You couldn’t have known.” Yugi mumbled as he rubbed his bare hands together to hopefully garner some warmth.

“Losing someone is never easy.” Jou gently grabbed Yugi’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“Thanks.”

A beat of silence stretched into a full minute before anyone spoke again. 

“I lost my sister,” Jou found himself offering, much to his own surprise.

Before he could wonder why he had felt the need to discuss this with someone who he had met only days ago, he found himself wanting to continue to talk. To share this. Feeling Yugi’s pain, although still veiled and sequestered, started to split his own armour. His eyes stung as he slipped into a familiar hurt he often tried to ignore. A grief he had not been able to process thanks to all of the insanity that had the entire world in its clutches.

“I’m so sorry.” Yugi’s gentle apology filled their makeshift cocoon. “Was it recent?”

“Right after this all started in Domino. Her retinoblastoma… her cancer. They said she was in the clear. ‘Cured’ was the word they used.”

There was a long beat of silence before he managed to speak up his next words.

“But it came back.”

He was four years older than his sister Shizuka. They had grown up in Domino City together with their mother after his father had left the picture when he was young. Some would view this turn of events as heartbreaking or unfortunate, but even back then, Jou knew that this was actually a good thing for everyone involved. His father was nothing but trouble. So when he had left them, Jou, at the tender age of ten, took up the mantle his father had so carelessly handled and tossed aside. He never wanted his family to be left alone or to be abandoned like that ever again. So he stepped up to the plate.

Along that vein, his relationship and his commitment to protecting his younger sister grew and flourished. He wanted her to have the world at her fingertips and would do anything to make that happen. May it be punching bullies in the schoolyard or spending his allowance on a new toy she had her one good eye on, he was willing to do anything for her.

From what he could remember, he knew that she had been quite sick as a baby. At the time, he had been too young to fully understand the implications of her illness. All he knew was that she needed vital surgery on her eye. He had learned after the fact that her cancer was advanced enough that she needed her eye removed to save her life. The glass eye she was given was so realistic that no one could see what she was missing at first glance or what she had been though. Jou never wanted her to ever experience something like that ever again. She was so strong and had been through too much already.

Then it happened.

The cancer monster came back.

One day, she started losing vision in her remaining eye. The gap in her vision brought forth an old fear. They were told by the doctors it was rare for someone in their twenties to have a recurrence. However, her illness did not read textbooks nor did it decide to come back quietly.

As her vision diminished, Jou’s fears grew. They festered in his mind as he watched similar fears hack their way through his sister like a rusted machete, leaving jagged cuts in her tattered mind.

It made her question her own mortality. It made her question everything.

Seeing her in this state nearly tore Jou limb from limb. Despite the dire situation, there was still hope for a cure. At least, there was in the beginning, although that hope was quickly cut down too.

Jou bit his lip as he cursed the tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. “If it wasn’t for the zombies, she woulda had her surgery, but instead…”

He could not continue. It was all too much. The feelings, the cold, the fear, the loneliness. It overwhelmed him. As he fought back, barely holding back the tears threatening to betray him, he felt a shift beside him.

“I cannot imagine…” Yugi’s empathic voice pulled him back from that inevitable treacherous slide. 

“It’s been hard, not having her around.” Jou’s voice broke. He shook his head roughlyl, sending tears streaking down his cheeks. “Fuck, my mom’s gone and now my sister is too. All I have left is Mai. She’s the only reason why I’m not… alone.”

“Mai?”

“She’s my girl. She’s one I’m trying to find a base for. She’s my ride or die and she deserves the world.” Jou explained, his body punctuating his sentence with a violent shiver.

Yugi nodded beside him. “I get it.”

“You do, huh?”

“Bakura and I… we don’t always see eye to eye. Actually, we often don’t. But he is important to me too and I… ah.” Yugi struggled to find the words he wanted to say.

“You love him, don’t ya?” The question was murmured so quietly it was nearly swallowed by the howling wind.

Yugi nodded solemnly. “He refuses to believe it, though. He thinks that I am only interested because I’m trying to be something I’m not, but it’s not true. Actually, before I left, we, ah, did not leave on the best of terms. I had to do something I’d have rather not, but it was for his own good, and it has been difficult for Bakura since Ryou died. It’s been tough on me too.”

“I’m sure.” Jou pulled their blanket-tarp cocoon tighter around him and Yugi.

“Thanks. But we have managed, and we will continue to live because that’s what he would have wanted.” Yugi said, that spark of determination igniting once again. “I will bring Bakura his medicine and we will sort the rest out after.”

Jou nodded. This world could tear even the strongest down. It takes away your opportunities, your friends, your family, and ultimately, your life as you know it. He knew this better than anyone. After all, this was exactly what happened to him. He had nearly lost his own spark several times in this endeavor. Though, seeing people like Yugi, his light refusing to be extinguished no matter how hard the world tried, brought him pause. It spurred him to try to keep going.

To keep hoping for a brighter tomorrow.

To simply have hope.

“Yeah. I’m sure ya will, buddy.”

The conversation died as the two men sat in silence, the wind continuing to whip at the tarp while the blizzard raged on. Soon, even the cold could not stave off the weariness that settled into Jou’s bones. At some point, the cold had become too much for the two men to sit apart. Yugi had leaned up against his side with Jou wrapping an arm around him protectively. The added body heat helped somewhat. At some point, Yugi had fallen into a fitful sleep at his side, with Jou faring only slightly better. Soon, he too could not keep his eyes open, and slipped into sleep himself.

***

Mai and Bakura had been right to approach this whole thing with an apprehensive outlook. Only a few blocks into the town, they spied a few gang members dressed in mismatched clothing. Their jackets were stripped with red and black that did not look like paint at all, Mai gagging soundly at the possibility of what they had used to taint their jackets. They treaded lightly around the streets, looking for a convenience store or any other place that could carry a map or clues as to where they were.

In their hunt for information, they entered a few houses that were surprisingly unlocked, mostly noticing how they almost looked antique in their pristine condition. Everything was dusty, and an ever present scent of mold and mildew filled their nostrils. They had yet to find a map, but they had however been able to find out which town they were in, recognizing the name on an outdated newspaper. With that new information in mind, they knew they were east of Domino for sure, and the highway they had walked upon was the fastest way back, therefore to Bakura’s and Yugi’s safe place.

The way back would probably take longer due to the snow that had started piling up on the streets, and the wind that had slowly but surely started to pick up. This smelled like an upcoming blizzard, the first one of the season always hitting the hardest around here. Both he and Mai seemed to have adequate clothing to face colder temperatures, but this whole weather issue made them hesitate to head back into the woods for the upcoming night. However, they sure did not want to risk spending it here in this town with the dangerous lurkers they had spotted.

They kept creeping between buildings, their boots leaving traces in the freshly fallen snow behind them, but thankfully the wind blew them almost immediately, keeping their cover mostly intact. They were debating their next course of action when they spotted a couple of people heading towards a building, which looked like a basement type of bar or what used to be a bar actually. Lights flickered inside, visible through the dirt tinted windows, seemingly provided by candles or oil lamps.

And next to that building was something Bakura hadn’t seen in months: a functional working truck. Or at least, it seemed that way. The engine must have been on recently as the snow had melted against its hood. He headed for the vehicle almost instinctively, but was pulled by an arm quickly bringing him back into the shadows of an alley.

“I know this looks very tempting but…” Mai whispered in his ear while nodding her head to the side.

He noticed an eclectic group of three walking towards the bar. The first was a tall brunet with spiked hair who looked quite strong, but also very dumb from the expression on his face. A even taller man was at his side, muscles bulging inside his tight black dress shirt, his neck adorned with way too many golden chains and his head covered with the most ridiculous American flag bandana. The last of the lot was a short excuse of a man, his face ashen and automatically making Bakura think that, if he had not opened up his mouth and talked, he might have been some sort of undead too.

“Boss, we saw them yesterday, they were lurking around the pharmacy!” the tiny insect started, his shorter legs had him running behind the other two walking.

The brunet turned to face the blond. “Yeah, the little fucker, the one who shot Sid in the foot, he grabbed some drugs and syringes or something before they bolted out!”

The blond reacted quickly and menacingly grabbed the other next to him by the throat and slammed him into a brick wall. “And you let them get away?!”

Bakura did not care much for their conversation, but he listened to the story anyway. This gang seemed to be the ones running things around here, and had caught two runaways in their city and had beat them to a pulp, before the two managed to slip through their fingers, angering the boss oh so very much. Now it seemed the same two people had also stolen from them, as the tiny man explained how he had easily recognized the shorter of the two intruders due to the gigantic orange pompom on his toque.

Wait…

Bakura’s blood boiled immediately. He wanted to feel relief that Yugi was alive and that he had escaped from this gang but all he could think about was the way these men had described the beatings they had given the trespassers. His fist clenched at his side. Hopefully Yugi had not been as hurt as he was imagining he had been…

He did not know who Yugi was tagging along with and he was not surprised at all that he had managed to make a new friend. This was not the time to ponder about Yugi’s travelling companion. Right now, all he wanted to do was land the strongest punch in the face of the obnoxious blond who seemed to be the leader of the trio.

The monster inside him stirred, asking to be set free.

One quick look at Mai told him she was as ready for action as he was. She had said the truck looked tempting, probably still thinking about their means of escape too. The three men did not seem to be carrying any weapons, and he and the woman could use the element of surprise to gain momentum, even if they were slightly outnumbered. Bakura definitely had his fair share of fights in the past, and he was not about to back down from this one. Not when someone had intentionally hurt Yugi for no goddamn reason.

They bolted out of the alley at the same time, Bakura making quick work of the smaller man with a swift swing of his crow bar against his legs followed by a well-placed kick to the sternum, knocking the wind from his lungs. He could hear Mai’s weapon drop to the ground and he swiveled around to help her, but he was suddenly caught from behind by the brunet.

He felt a strong arm ensnare his neck tightly, choking him. He tried to punch the guy, but he was pushed against the wall, his head slamming on the bricks, and his arm twisted behind his back, making him release his own weapon. The arm was now pressed against his nape, an elbow effectively digging into his shoulder blades.

He could feel the blood gushing out of his fresh head wound, but his priority was getting out of this vulnerable position. His swift disposition would certainly help him do just that. From his stance against the wall, he managed to land a kick to his opponent’s knee, making his tight grip loosen. Seizing his window of opportunity, he headbutted the other so harshly it made his own head spin. He heard a crack from the other’s nose breaking from the impact.

He picked up the crowbar from the ground and gave another hard hit against the man’s knees, making him cry out in pain again. He did not even have time to deal the third blow that would have surely incapacitated him because he froze at the click of a handgun.

“Drop your weapon, freak!”

He could hear two sets of laboured breathing from behind him, reassuring him that Mai was still alive at least. He dropped his tool, which clattered loudly on the pavement even though it was partially covered with snow. He turned to the last member of the trio, finally registering the pain in his twisted arm, probably from a sprained wrist.

The blond was holding his traveling companion against his chest, a large hand pressed around her throat, fingers digging into the tender skin. Her face now sported a split lip and a series of cuts surrounded by swelling on her cheekbone, probably given by the bloodied brass knuckles on her assailant’s hand. The golden Desert Eagle pointed at Bakura, however, was the most crucial of their problems at the moment.

“I’m thinking I want to shoot you both right now, but hell, I’ve had a fucking long week. I think I deserved a treat…”

His gun stayed trained on Bakura as he pushed Mai to the ground. She tried to get up, but he kicked her side and she fell back down. He kneeled and turned her over, reaching for the zipper of her jacket and inching it down.

“Oh yeah, you’re hiding lovely goods under there. I thought so.”

The man cupped a feel of her breast, making both Mai whimper at the touch and Bakura snarled at the inappropriate behaviour. He took a step forward immediately, an opposite reaction instantaneous. The detonation sounded at the same time he felt the bullet through his shoulder, falling backwards from the impact.

Shit, he had not meant for that to happen at all.

“Oh no, Freak. You don’t get a say in this, but I’ll let you watch though. Then I’ll end you.”

The pain was substantial right now. His head wound was pulsing, his shoulder was now burning and bleeding through his hoodie, blood dripping into the snow. Fortunately, this new wound distracted him from the pain in his wrist. Fighting the undead was hard, but fighting humans was something else entirely. They were unpredictable and much more vicious than zombies.

Much more monstrous.

He only allowed his body to lay down in the cold for a few seconds before he crawled back up. The other man was solely focused on Mai who struggled against him with all her might. Bakura did not want to know how powerless she felt against the heavyweight blond crushing her ribs while trying to get his way with her. Her purple eyes were filled with so much panic, and suddenly, the image of Yugi instead being pinned by this gruesome and disgusting human being filled his thoughts and he saw red.

No.

Crimson.

He pulled the golf club tied to his backpack in a slow, fluid motion. He cranked his arms back, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder and concentrated all his rage into his swing. The head of his weapon connected with the man’s temple so brutally that he could feel the skull cracking from the blow. Blood splattered all over the pure white snow, following the trajectory of the end of his swing with the 9 iron.

The blond fell to the side, his body still covering most of Mai. Bakura pulled her quickly from underneath him, and she clung to him, tension in her whole body, but not a single tear in her eyes although they were still wide from shock.

The other laid on the ground, not moving a muscle, but he could see a minute heaving from his chest, telling Bakura he was still alive. For now. The white-haired man bent over the body and felt around the pockets for the possibility he was holding the keys to the truck he wanted even more right now. When he found them, he got back up and spat on the boss, muttering the words that had been burning on his tongue for the past few minutes.

“You really fucked with the wrong person.”

He had meant those words about touching a hair on Yugi’s head, but he found himself contemplating their meaning including his attempt on Mai too. He walked back over to her while she took the time to zip her parka back up. He offered her his hand and she looked up at him uncertain for a moment before gripping it tightly and standing up.

He unlocked the truck’s passenger door and let her climb in. He rounded to the driver’s side just as a man was coming out from the bar and their eyes met. What the other saw in them must have been scary enough to have him hesitate to sound the alarm after seeing the three bloodied bodies laying on the ground.

“Thanks for the truck,” Bakura simply offered as he climbed aboard and started the engine before quickly driving down the main road to escape the other horrible humans he had the displeasure of meeting on this short excursion.

After ensuring that they had placed enough distance between them and that bar, Bakura lowered his speed. He wanted to save the truck’s scant remaining gas but also to hopefully stay on the road despite the harsh blizzard that was now surrounding them. He had very little visibility and the wipers and tires did not seem to be adapted to winter driving at all, so he treaded lightly. They did not need to get into an accident and worsen their respective injuries. The cold, however, was probably a good thing. They had yet to cross paths with any undead since the snow had started falling.

For a while, they drove in complete silence. To their surprise, Mai had found a first-aid kit in the glove compartment of the truck and had started taking care of the scratches on her face and her swollen lip. She had pulled up her shirt to assess the damage to her upper body and Bakura had glanced sideways only when she winced as her own fingertips brushed against the forming bruising on what he could only guess must have been a few broken ribs. Their assailant had been no lightweight and Bakura was pretty sure he had crushed her body under his to make sure she would ‘cooperate’.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes now back on the road.

Mai looked at him and he could feel the worry mixed with shock in her voice. “Are you?! You just got shot!”

He kept his eyes on the road, trying to ignore the searing pain in his shoulder. He wanted to ignore it, so he did not have to focus on the emotions linked to it. The fact that he had to save Mai from suffering a gruesome act at the hands of a terrible person was one thing. However, the fact that he had suddenly seen someone else in her place... it had unnerved him so much that he had not calculated the risk of the step he had taken. 

“Well, I gave a shit, excuse me!” he let out.

From her position, there was very little she could do about his shoulder or his sprained wrist, but she did reach out and try to wipe the blood away from his head wound. He could still feel it throbbing and probably still lightly bleeding like head wounds always seemed to, but he tried to keep his focus on the road. He was focused on getting back.

The scrawny man had said something that he now remembered even more clearly knowing it had been Yugi he had been speaking about. That the squirt had raided the pharmacy and stolen some drugs, and the only reason Yugi would have taken such a risk is because he had found it.

He had found some insulin.

And he was probably on his way back to their base, with a day’s head start.

The blonde’s voice next to him pulled him back to the inside of the truck he was driving. “But you didn’t kill him…”

He felt the blood loss starting to affect his senses, his vision blurring and his head starting to spin. He needed to stop the truck before he got them into an accident. But stopping the truck would mean facing this conversation, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. He could avoid it, and just ignore her completely, but at this point, it was becoming harder to do. “I try to avoid killing humans,” he replied.

She had finished cleaning his head wound, but she was now poking at another type of wound. “But you did…”

He slammed on the breaks, a little harder than he had intended. His hands were gripping the steering wheels hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. “Once.”

He could not see anything outside in the blizzard, so he opted to simply park the car in the middle of the road, and turn off the engine to save on gas. Mai fished out a small flashlight from her pack and set it on the dashboard to illuminate the truck cabin. She waited for him to peel off his jacket and hoodie before lending a hand at assessing the state of his wound. The bullet had passed right through which explained why the bleeding was substantial. He patched himself up clumsily, before Mai took over and started doing a way better job than he did.

“Who was she?” she asked calmly.

He remembered his slip up about her yesterday, the only human he had ever killed intentionally. Sure, he had talked about it with Yugi, but he had been there. He had witnessed it. This was different and a lot more difficult. “Honestly, not much to me. But everything to my brother.”

When it had all started, they had been four, a little tight-knit unit braving the apocalypse together: himself, the annoying squirt Yugi, his twin brother Ryou, and his girlfriend of the last two years, Anzu. Anzu was no push-over, she could handle her own in a fight and had proven very capable of following the pack without any fuss. Ryou had once shown an engagement ring to Bakura, but had never found the right time to propose, and now was certainly not the right time to either.

“Then why did you kill her?” Mai prompted.

He remembered.

Remembered how she had broken her knee in a really bad fall against the concrete as they were heading back to base. Remembered how he had been the one holding her up with Ryou while Yugi took out a few undeads with his crossbow, but could not keep all of them at bay. Remembered how she had whispered to him to let her go, to save the other two. Remembered how she had actually begged him to do so, because if not, they would all die, including the man she loved. Remembered how she had pushed both of them away before diving into the ditch next to them. Remembered how Ryou had cried out and how Yugi had held him back.

But most of all, he remembered the way she had turned her pleading eyes his way and motioned at him to shoot her as the zombies were descending on her.

He remembered Ryou’s howling cry as he had pulled the trigger.

He could have answered so many things to Mai’s question.

_ “Because she asked me to.” _

_ “Because that was her only way out.” _

_ “Because zombies don’t turn dead people into their own.” _

But none of them felt as right as the words that came out of his mouth in the end. “Because I’m human, and so was she.”

Her answer held no surprise or pity. Just the truth. “You killed her because you cared.”

Ryou had yelled at him, insulted him and hit him repeatedly, while Yugi could only stand back and watch. Bakura had taken it all in without as much as a word, until his brother finally crumbled in his arms, crying over and over again, clutching at him like a lifeline. He had refused to let go and they had settled for the night like that, with him cradling his twin against his chest, and Yugi running his fingers into his best friend’s hair. Eventually, the shorter man had had the audacity to put in his head on Bakura’s shoulder, but at that moment, it had felt like the most comforting thing in the world, just like the words he had spoken next.

_ “Remember when I said you were lucky to have Ryou. I take it back... well, sort of. Ryou’s lucky to have you too.” _

“Talk about irony, huh?” he whispered, his eyes drifting back to the snowflakes falling on the windshield.


	7. Sixth day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster that fights_

Jou awoke again to darkness. Sometime during his slumber, the sun had set and the blizzard had dissipated, leaving a cool, clear night in its wake. By some miracle, he still had feelings in all of his fingers and toes. How he did not get frostbite was beyond him. As soon as he shifted in the cocoon made of tarp and sleeping roll, he felt Yugi stir against his side. Sleepy violet eyes blinked at him for a moment in confusion before Jou saw the gears start to turn.

“Oh, what time is it?” Yugi asked, his words still thick with sleep.

“I don’t know. My watch battery died a few months back,” Jou snickered lightly before adding, “Well, it's definitely gotta be sometime at night. We musta been sleeping for hours.”

“It’s night already?” Yugi seemed to perk up at this. “We need to get moving. We’ve wasted so much time.”

Jou scratched the back on his neck. “Well, I don’t think it was really a waste there, Yuge. We couldn’t do much with that storm and all…”

“Yeah, but I’m supposed to meet back up with Bakura in a day and we did not make it very far yesterday,” Yugi protested as he shifted to stand. His movements knocked a pile of snow off the portion of tarp that had been covering his legs.

“Hey, I get it, lover boy. I really do. But Bakura’s not going to be too pleased if you get killed out here because you rushed things.”

Yugi did not respond. From the look of that scrunched brow, Jou could tell his mind was made. He felt a tug, and the bedroll was pulled out from between him and the log they had used as a makeshift shelter.

“Hey, I was using that!” Jou protested as he fell back against the rough log.

“Well, we have to go!” Yugi shook the snow off the sleeping bag and zipped it back up.

That shrimp. What he wanted to do was dangerous, walking back out into the open right in the dead of night. However, Jou knew that there was no way he could sway the man to stay here holed up until daybreak. Yugi was leaving, with or without him. Jou let out a rough sigh and got to his feet.

“Alright, if ya really wanna go now, at least let me help ya try not to get killed.” Jou grabbed the tarp and started folding it up for storage.

Yugi’s triumphant smile flashed white in the night.

****

Mai had taken over the driving after their conversation, while he replenished his own fuel and rested to get his body back into functioning mode. The lack of insulin and the blood loss made him feel the weakest he had ever been in his life. The blonde had driven until they ran out of gas, and the blizzard had somewhat subsided, the wind still present but thankfully less violent than it had been for the last few hours.

On the last dregs of gas, she pulled the truck into the woods on the side of the highway to hide it from plain sight, hoping the last snowflakes falling would cover the tracks. There still seemed to be no activity around them, and they opted to bundle up inside the truck cabin to get some shut-eye before walking the rest of the way to the outskirts of Domino city, where his and Yugi’s hideout was situated.

He figured it would take them a day or so to get there, arriving just in time for that deadline Yugi had mentioned. He also hoped that Yugi and whoever his traveling companion was had found shelter from the snow and cold. He knew Yugi could take care of most wounds with his medical background, but frostbite was hell, and he did not wish them upon the two other men out there.

When he had woken up, one glance in the rear-view mirror told him he looked exactly as he felt: tired, beaten, and frankly, like shit. His short white locks were now tainted brownish red from dried blood, and most of it had fallen out of the tiny ponytail he had managed to tie it in yesterday. His eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion and the bags under them stood out against the milky skin of his face. There were tiny blood splatters on his cheeks, likely not his own despite the laceration on his forehead, and he quickly tried wiping away the evidence of his violent outburst yesterday. His clothes were a mess, although nothing quite out of the ordinary, except now, they were stickier and bloodier than they had been at the beginning of the week. He daydreamed of a hot shower that would never happen, but he’d settle for a cold basin of somewhat clean water in the near future to get rid of some of the stink.

But the pain, the pain was the worst to deal with. The strain of his muscles was evident from all the last few days of intense activity, but the beating he and Mai had taken yesterday had left its marks on him. Swelling had formed on the side of his head, surrounding the cut that would probably need some sort of stitches, but there was no way he was sticking a needle through his skin right now. Bruising adorned his wrist, although he was partially happy to notice the bones seemed intact, although the articulation was surely tender enough to require some protection for the next few days minimum. The sharpest pain came from his shoulder. The bullet may have passed right through, but he had stil gotten shot, which was no walk in the park.

The crisp morning air greeted them as he rolled down the truck’s window to awaken his senses. Mai had gathered from their fight yesterday that one of the two intruders in the asshole’s town had been the partner Bakura was looking for, but she had not pressed him further on the matter. They finished patching themselves up, Mai wrapping bandages around her torso and him fastening a sling for his shoulder and wrist out of the scrap material they had. He knew his injury would affect his fighting skills, but he was immensely lucky his good arm was still the one in good shape. The snow would undoubtedly slow their progress a little, but they could still make good time with their early start.

Soon, their footsteps led them towards somewhat familiar surroundings and a small town appeared a few miles ahead. He heard Mai chuckle and he could not help but follow suit. They had managed to make their way back to that first town where he had found Yugi’s scarf next to an already raided drug store. He remembered all the silly names of the stores, and it surprisingly brought a smile to his face. Yugi probably would have liked those silly names too, if he had not been busy looking for his insulin like the hero he felt he was.

But something took their mood from giggly to icy in a second.

A grunt.

No.

Not one.

Many grunts. 

The cold was not the reason they both found themselves frozen on their spot. They both swiveled around and noticed the undead filtering out between the trees behind them. It was not just a simple small pack, no. There seems to be dozens of them coming out and only two of them fight them off. The horde was still pretty far away from them, and as slow as ever, but still a very real upcoming threat.

“This is bad, right?” Mai said, a very audible swallow following.

Bakura did not hesitate in his reply. “This is really fucking bad.”

***

Despite their incredibly rash decision to walk through a forest filled with milling zombies in the near pitch black night, Jou and Yugi made it through the night unscathed. The cold air had thankfully helped Jou take his mind off of his throbbing nose and finger, but by the end of the night, Jou’s legs ached from their nearly non-stop walking. His axe that he had managed to strap onto his back collided with him with every step and was starting to cause a bruise to form on his tailbone.

“How much longer do ya figure, Yuge?” Jou called from behind the shorter man, who was leading the way with a map and compass in hand.

“We should be able to get there by tomorrow morning if everything goes according to plan.” Yugi pointed to a spot on the map. “This is roughly where we are right now, and there —” Yugi’s finger glided across the map’s surface to rest on a patch of grey coloured land “— is where that first town is.”

“Where is your base at in all of this?” Jou leaned forward, peering at the map.

Yugi pointed to a patch of land in the middle of nowhere a ways outside of Domino City. “We settled in an abandoned power plant around here. It’s perfect for a base. It has solid concrete walls with a barbed wire fence around it. The power grid’s been down for some time now, so it's actually really safe.”

Jou nodded.“Solid base, for sure.”

Yugi tried to hide a shy, but proud smile. “It is. Let’s keep going.”

They set off again, their boots creating parallel tracks in the near pristine snow. They walked for several hours, taking every effort to make as little noise as they could to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. In Jou’s mind, it was debatable if they really needed to do that. There were no other footprints, human or animal, along their stretch. The woods were vacant. Dead, even. Even though he knew this was a good thing, Jou still felt the hairs at the nape of his neck stand up on end. It was too quiet. The forest was always too quiet for his liking.

“We are making good time,” Yugi broke the silence for the first time, his breath coming forth in a puff. “We may even be there earlier than I thought.”

“Good, ‘cause I’m starving. I’m still so mad that we had to leave my bag with all of those goodies back with those assholes. My soup…” Jou lamented, kicking at the snow in irritation.

“I’m sorry about that. But don’t worry, we have plenty of food stockpiled back at the base! Bakura had done a good supply run just a few days before I left.” Yugi relayed happily.

A low gurgle punctuated the end of Yugi’s sentence. Yugi turned around with a chuckle to look at Jou. “You really are hungry!”

Jou’s eyes narrowed at the statement. “Uh Yuge… that wasn’t my stomach… I thought it was yours.”

Yugi stopped suddenly, his eyes widening as he stared at Jou. “It wasn’t mine either.” 

The two men stared in silence at each other. Neither dared to move or breathe. The gurgle never returned, the only sounds meeting Jou’s ear were the light breeze through the nearly bare trees and the sound of his own heartbeat.

“Grrrahhhhhhhh!”

A decayed hand thrust itself through the snow, making a quick, uncoordinated sweep before capturing Yugi’s ankle.

Yugi’s scream rang through the forest as he stumbled. Eyes wide, he kicked his foot out to try to dislodge the hand from his boot. The grip was tight though, and all of Yugi’s flailing merely pulled the zombie out of its frigid hiding place. The head and torso rose from the snow like a monster arising from the deep. Ratty and matted hair clung to the undead’s sloughing scalp, milky eyes darting wildly around to find its catch. 

“Shit, Yuge!” Jou yelled reaching for the axe strung across his back. With a grunt, he freed the weapon and swung down towards the arm with as much strength as he could muster. The blade contacted bare bone with a sickening crunch, cleaving clean through rotting flesh and sinew. Tar like blood oozed from the severed arm, pooling in the crisp snow below. As Yugi scurried back, Jou raised his weapon to deal the final blow.

Panting heavily, Yugi looked up from the indisposed zombie, brain matter now joining blood in the snow. His gaze flitted between from those undeadened eyes to meet Jou’s much more lively ones. “T-thanks. That was a close one.”

“Damn, I didn’t know they could do that.” Jou shook his head incredulously. “What the hell was it doing hiding there?”

“It must have gotten caught in the storm and became buried in a drift. We must have awakened it with our footsteps.”

Jou looked around wildly at the untouched snow, now much more circumspect about what dangers lingered beneath its surface. “Do ya think there’s more?”

Yugi scratched at the back of his neck, eyes drifting upwards in thought. “Maybe. Although, this could have been an already damaged zombie that got left by its pack.”

Jou scoffed at this notion. “That’s very optimistic of you. Since when have you seen —”

An otherworldly groan filled the forest as another hand burst through the snow, only two feet behind where Yugi was standing. It was soon joined by another. And another. Groans coalesced in a macabre cacophony, a horrific discordant symphony that set Jou’s blood to ice.

_ Shit. _

***

Mai grabbed his arm and ensured he was looking at her while she proposed her plan. “Okay, we should save our bullets for now and head into town for shelter.”

He pulled his arm back in irritation and looked back like her very words had been spit like fire. “Are you crazy? They’ll easily corner us and wait us out!”

She pointed her finger at him, like if she was patronizing a child who had dared challenge her. “Listen, dumbass! We’re sitting ducks anywhere around here, the trees are on their side! I know you’re on a ticking clock, but we gotta be alive to make it back to your base!”

He swatted her finger away. “I know that!” he hissed before sighing in defeat. “Okay, let’s do this, but we gotta secure the right spot!”

They had both started retreating towards the town, their feet not as light as yesterday from the beating they had taken, but they still kept a good distance between them and the undead. She raised her eyebrow at him. He knew this was certainly not her first rodeo since she had survived this far and this long. “Small, very little windows and two opposite exits?”

He smiled and kept skipping, almost jogging by now. They were close enough to read the signs on some of the buildings by now. “And tools and materials.”

She frowned at his specific request. “What for?”

He was not looking at her nor the zombies anymore. He kept shifting his gaze, trying to find the perfect shop they could occupy and barricade to give him enough time to gather the supplies and work on his plan. “If we’re gonna do this, we’re also going to find a way to escape once they’re all gathered in the same spot. I might have an idea.”

She was now looking at the different weird store names this town seemed to be filled with. “What exactly are we looking for, Einstein?”

He groaned, threading his fingers through his knotty short bangs. “It’s the hair, right?”

Against all odds in this particular situation, she laughed aloud and took a few seconds to catch her breath. “Well, I meant it as the surprising intellect you seem to have, but yeah. Definitely the hair.”

His eyes landed on a sign they had missed the first time around, and although the pun in its name was terrible, he knew he had found the right spot to set their temporary safe spot.

“Jackpot,” he let out before jogging straight to it.

She followed him and eyed their destination suspiciously. “Hammered Hardware? Really? Did they have a committee in this town that found the dumbest names for all the stores?”

He kept jogging, as he noticed that a few of the undead would probably reach the outskirts of the town sooner than later. Even though preoccupied, he still somehow managed a comeback. “Oh come on, they’re alliterations. Gotta appreciate a horrible pun here and there.”

Mai hoffed next to him, easily keeping up with his pace. “Maybe, but not everywhere!”

Once they made it to the store, Bakura almost doubled over. When he had spotted the name, he had hoped for an ordinary shop filled with basics to repair and fix everyday life problems, but he had never even thought this kind of shop was possible. The good thing was that the storefront had already been barricaded with thick wood panels and the door chained for good measure. Only the bottom of the door had been damaged enough for them to sneak in, meaning it could easily be secured again from the inside.

There was no back exit to the store itself, but there was one to the pub fused with it. The separation between the store part and the pub adjourning was only a change in the flooring, from linoleum on one side to hardwood on the other. It had to be the weirdest mix he’d even seen between two different facilities, but right, now, he was kind of happy this town possessed such a place.

Bakura started going down the aisles in the hardware part of the building, while Mai perused the bar side, trying not to step on all the broken bottles smashed on the floor. He started picking up a few things, deciding between what could be the most useful for his plan. 

“Only in small country towns could you find a merger between a bar and a hardware store,” he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for her to hear in the eerie silence inside.

He heard her rustle through the last few intact bottles she had found behind the bar. “Can’t say I’m displeased right now.” But after a few seconds, she grunted in disapproval. “Scratch that, most of the alcohol still here is disgusting. I mean, who drinks Sambuca, honestly?”

He shivered at the memory of black licorice taste swirling in his mouth. She was right about it being absolutely unpalatable. For a moment there, he was back in his twin’s living room, remembering Ryou having a sip of Sambuca for the first time and almost spitting it out, the liquor already coating his mouth with its terrible texture and taste. Ryou had never been much of a drinker, but he could surprisingly hold his liquor. But not Sambuca, never Sambuca.

He shook his head. “Can’t say I’m a fan either, but hey, free drink and potential Molotov cocktail, am I right?” he replied, still gathering the supplies he needed and dumping them in a ridiculously tiny shopping cart with a broken wheel that keep hissing as he rolled it down the short aisles.

She sniffed the content of the bottle and grimaced before taking a tentative sip anyway. Her sour pout only heightened. “Not a bad way to think in an apocalypse, I’d say.” She gathered the bottles that still contained some alcohol in them and brought them over to his side.

He grabbed the opened one and took a quick whiff before deciding against even bringing it to his lips, letting out a poppin ‘Nope’ before setting it down on the counter. “Yeah, even my brother hated Sambuca.”

She chuckled, but stopped abruptly, like realising something. Bakura looked at her curiously with a raised eyebrow.

She frowned and measured her words. “Wait a second… are we not looking for your brother? Because I gathered that’s who we were looking for, with you and your oversharing personality.”

He paused for her second, wondering how she suddenly had seemed to figure this out, and noticed he had used the past tense in his previous reply. He swallowed and shifted his gaze away from her. He took a very deep interest in the dust that had gathered on the counter. “No. My brother’s dead too.”

For a moment, she walked back into the bar area and came back with two wooden stools and set them at the counter in the hardware area. She sat down on one and offered the other to Bakura.

“How?” she asked with a single word.

His fingers froze around a couple of screws. The words came out almost mechanically. “He got bitten.”

Losing Anzu had been devastating for Ryou. For the days following her sacrifice, he had been but a hollow shell of his former self, unable to do anything but oscillate between short, fitful rests and lying awake, huddled up in his sleeping bag, barely eating or drinking anything. Both Yugi and Bakura had let him be, just being there for him in case he needed anything.

Then, one morning, he was up and about, although his eyes were not as bright as they used to be. He told them that he was not done mourning, but that mourning could be done while living. He wanted to live, for her and for him, but also for Yugi and his brother. He wanted to live because he was still alive and she was not.

His enthusiasm got swept away only three weeks after Anzu’s death. It was supposed to be a routine supplies run, but like many things in this world, it went horribly wrong. They were going to a spot they had been to before and knew all of the safe corners and the best vantage points. Unfortunately, their previous experience did little to help against a sudden attack by the most fierce pack of zombies than they had ever encountered. Ryou had clubbed a good amount of them with his 9 iron, letting his rage over the recent events help him slash his way through his attackers. They had all come back to the base exhausted and with more scratches than what they had left with.

Ryou had stopped right before going inside and smiled sadly. Bakura remembered looking at him strangely and then noticing the blood tainting his shirt overlying his abdomen. After a moment of helistation, Ryou peeled it off his body and showed him the large bite mark and the popping veins around it, the poisonous saliva already spreading inside him. His brother had dropped his weapon on the ground just as Yugi’s very horrified gasp filled the air.

“Did you…” Mai started, but did not finish her obvious question.

“No.”

At that point, Bakura remembered how he had started babbling about a cure. Or at least, there were theorized ways of possibly slowing the process they could try, although none had ever been tested. There had to be a way. Any way. Ryou had shaken his head and looked towards his best friend instead of his brother. Yugi took his cue. Although the facts and evidence Yugi presented were not new to him, Bakura needed to hear them again, to understand the gravity of the situation. Although, he could not help but mutter his disagreement at every fact that was repeated to him.

There was no cure.

There was no sure way to delay the inevitable.

Ryou had but a few minutes left before his killer instincts would take over.

And he did not want to get to that point. They all did not. They had made a pact at the beginning of this whole thing that they would never let any of them turn into one of them monsters.

Ryou’s eyes had found his.

_ “I won’t do it.” _

He posited his request.

_ “But you have to.” _

There had been no begging, just that simple request repeated again.

_ “Well, I can’t, alright!” _

Bakura had been unable to move. He had but barely hesitated to fulfill Anzu’s request, but he could not bring himself to fulfill his brother’s wish. The softest fingers had curled around his and taken the gun away from his hands. His twin wrapped his arms around him and whispered how much he loved him. How much he knew he was the best brother he could have ever wished for. How much he needed to forgive himself for everything he thought he had done wrong. How much he needed to realise he was not the monster he thought he was.

Ryou had pulled away, glanced sideways, kissed his forehead before hiding Bakura’s eyes away behind his hands. The detonation was so loud he thought he would go deaf from it. Those soft hands fell from his face, the body following suit, crumpling to the ground with a thud.

“Yugi did,” Bakura murmured, “He was my brother’s childhood best friend.”

Yugi had stood next to him, the gun held firmly in his hands, the barrel still smoking from the shot. His face was numb, but his eyes betrayed his inner distress. Ryou’s body laid in front of them, his head now pierced by a bullet, blood spilling out on the forest ground. For a second, Bakura saw red and pushed Yugi straight against the concrete wall of their base. He yelled at him one simple word:  _ “Why?” _ The purple eyes that looked back at him once again held no fear, no resentment, but a shared pain and underlying affection, as he answered.

_ “I have had enough of you being angry at yourself. So be angry at someone else for once.” _

“Yugi’s the one who put him out of his misery… so I didn’t have to do it.”

Bakura had let go instantly. Without a word, they had set out to dig a grave for Ryou and carefully moved the body there. Atop the mound, they had fastened a cross out of branches, and made a second one next to it for Anzu’s grave that would forever remain empty, but close to her beloved. When they were done, they had both stood straight in front of both graves, paying their respect in silence. Yugi had reached out for his hand, and Bakura obliged. As he held that hand in his, its grip strong against his own, a realisation pierced through his thoughts. He would not mind never letting go of that hand. The shorter man had cried. And so had he.

Mai brought him back to the present. “And this Yugi? It’s him who we’re looking for?”

A smile threatened to escape at the mention of the other man. “Yeah, the stupid squirt with the saviour complex.”

The blonde lined the bottles of alcohol in front of her and reached around for a pack of rags she had snatched from behind the bar. She started striping them, tearing them into pieces to work on her makeshift incendiary weapons. “Sounds like a great guy to me.”

“Probably too great of a guy,” he mumbled under his breath, but she heard him anyway.

She stopped what she was doing and propped an elbow on the counter and rested her head on her hand. A very devious smirk appeared on her lips. “You gonna tell him how you feel when we find him?”

If asked, he would deny the blush that had suddenly graced his cheekbones and probably blamed it on a trick of the light or something. He groaned as he took out a tool pack from his backpack and set it next to him. “Now that is none of your fucking business.”

She nudged him on the shoulder playfully. “Just saying you should, that’s all.”

He finally turned to face her, and sighed. “It’s complicated, alright?”

She laughed lightly while shaking her head. “Ain’t it always?”

The sensation of Yugi’s lips against his own and his parting words came crashing back down on him, and a tiny smile laced with sadness birthed on his lips. “Yeah, it always fucking is, I guess.”

The scratching against the wood panels protecting them from the outside world alerted them to the threat that had found them. For a second, they could have pretended that they were just having a conversation anywhere but here, but the reality of their situation came rushing back to them. Mai quickly got up to make sure that the zombies could not get to them from the front of the store, and Bakura rushed to the back. They seemed to be safe on both sides for now. He knew he needed to work faster on his little creation, although a crucial part of his plan was for the majority of the zombies to gather right up against the building. This way, when his device went off, there was a better chance of widespread carnage. He had yet to explain his plan to Mai, but that would come in time, probably as soon as she would realise what he was trying to build with the materials he had found.

She indeed came around next to him and eyed his work for a minute before finally starting to piece it together. “What the hell are you building?”

He smiled at her with evident understanding. “I think you know.”

She sat back down on her stool and looked at him with wide eyes. “Okay, but where the fuck did you learn to make a bomb?!”

He shrugged and tried to come up with the most logical answer he could use. “I’m a mechanic.”

She slapped him across the shoulder. “That doesn’t answer my question!”

He smirked at her. “Okay, then I was in juvie. Better?”

She blinked a couple of times, trying to process if he was joking or not, and then just nodded in accordance, not sure if she should be impressed or not. “Kinda answers the question, I guess.”

She left him to work on his device while she finished a few of her own preparations. Soon thereafter, she weaseled her way through the ceiling panels to get to the roof of the building, which was the safest route there as it would allow her to pass undetected by the undead at their door. She seemed to be keen on using ceilings and it made Bakura smile. Yugi was just like that, insistent in using even the smallest passages as if he was a little contortionist mouse. That had proven to be very useful in various situations, although none of the other members of their team had ever been able to follow him. Mai came back down about five minutes later with her assessment on the situation outside.

She seemed hesitant before announcing what she had seen. “Alright, so most of the undead have definitely found us, they’re about fifty of them surrounding the place.”

His eyes went wide for a second, evaluating the risks of this whole operation. “Shit, fifty?!” And there were only two of them…

Mai brushed her hair back before tying it in her trademark messy bun. She looked as tired as he was, but there was a determination in her gaze that he appreciated even more at that moment. She did not have to face the zombies right now, she could wait them out, but it seemed she was set on getting out of there as quickly as him. “Honestly, I’ve never faced that many at one time so I’m really hoping this bomb of yours does the trick.”

Bakura had faith in his skills, he knew the bomb would detonate. However, he doubted it would take out all fifty of the zombies waiting for them. “This thing will probably give us a good diversion, throwing them off our sound and scent, but are you ready to bash a few heads while we make a break for it?”

She smiled confidently. “Oh honey,” and then she cocked her gun, making sure it was already locked and loaded. “I was born ready.”

***

From where Jou was standing, he could see at least a dozen sets of partially skeletonized hands grappling their way out of their snowy prison. Dammit. So much for optimism. Yugi was quicker to the draw than he was, pulling his crossbow from his shoulder and loading a bolt with practiced precision. The bolt discharged, tearing past Jou’s side to lodge in the orbit of a rising undead. Yugi’s brow furrowed as he pulled out another bolt, reading his next response.

As this was happening, Jou caught sight of a walker a couple meters away pulling itself through the snow towards Yugi. With a bellow, Jou sprinted across the gap and buried his axe deep in the zombie’s calvarium. Bits of white matter and a spew of tarry blood filled the air momentarily, mercifully sparing Jou’s orifices and coating his jeans instead. Damn zombies.

“Jou, behind you!” the cry came just as he felt scythe like nails rake down the back of his leg.

Jou suppressed a yelp as he spun, swinging his axe around and just missing the arm that was trying to seize his jeans.

“Dammit.” Jou swung again. Miss. The crossbow bolt, however, did not.

As the zombie crumpled to the ground, lifeless once again, Jou looked up towards Yugi. His companion’s cheek was coated in a fine spray of blackened blood, eyes determined as ever. Yugi gave him a small nod and went back to work, quickly sidestepping an undead hand reaching for him and clobbering the head of its owner with the shaft of his crossbow.

The zombies kept rising, closing in much too close for comfort. The idea of fleeing was fleeting in his mind, pushed aside by a surge of ferocious energy underpinned by pure adrenaline. It was high time he let loose and gave these bastards a piece of his mind. 

For Yugi. 

For Mai. 

For himself.

Jou sprinted towards the largest mass of undead, their decrepit bodies almost completely freed from the snow. He hefted his axe. Swing. A head went flying. Cleave. A disembodied shoulder fell next to a dismembered leg in the snow. Jou yelled, cursed and fought his way through the hoarde like a man possessed. Footprints in the snow were joined by sanguinous and enteric streaks. His muscles ached and protested with each swing, but he did not care. These bastards needed to die, and for good this time. They had done enough damage to the living.

He had just decapitated his sixth zombie before realizing the flaw in his plan. There were at least another dozen zombies left, swarming and tripping over themselves in order to get at the fresh meat that was fighting back just beyond their grasp. Thankfully, Jou had done a good job avoiding any teeth or saliva. Turning was the last thing he wanted. There was no way he was about to let all of his hard work go to shit all due to a careless mistake.

The real issue of the situation was that he was bound to make a mistake.

He had spent a long time on the road, and Jou’s body felt every minute and meter. His strength was fading fast, and soon, these vying hands and gnashing teeth would serve to become his downfall. A putrid hand grazed the sleeve of his jacket, causing him to jump.

“Nah, not today!” Jou chopped hard at the offending arm, barely able to get through it. Shit. His axe was dulling too. He would have to start using the precious bullets in his rifle.

Three bolts from a crossbow fired in rapid succession, hitting their marks with clinical precision.

“Jou, I think we should go,” Yugi called over, his latest heroics having garnered Jou’s full attention. Jou watched as Yugi swiped at a fresh spattering of blood across his face with his sleeve to no avail. “We can’t keep fighting. They just keep coming.”

As much as he hated the idea of having to run as it went against almost every fiber in his being, he knew Yugi was right. In this world, sometimes you had to listen to fleeing logic more than to your own fighting instincts. They were better off trying to leave before things got too messy or one of them got hurt. Or worse. Now, they just needed to find their way out.

They had cut, carved and cleaved their way through at least a dozen of the undead by now, but they were still pretty well surrounded by the remainder. They would need to make a path through the horde to the northwest and hope that they weren’t running into another trap. 

“Hey Yuge! Which way’s your camp?” Jou called over his shoulder as he eyed a zombie that he swore was eyeing him back.

“Uhh, that way.” Yugi quickly pointed off to Jou’s left before gripping his crossbow again and taking another shot at a zombie about to charge them.

“Alright, we’re getting outta here. Follow me!” Jou stopped to shoot Yugi a reassuring smirk and a thumbs up.

Jou set off with a cry, axe raised to slash down any zombie that dared to stop him. Thankfully, between a couple carefully placed swings and a couple clutch crossbow bolts, the path to their freedom was in sight. Just a couple more footsteps through the snow and they would be home free! He could practically taste victory. That sweet taste, however, was quickly replaced by the taste of blood.

One last hand made a desperate grab at his back. The contact spurred his feet to redouble their efforts, leading to an almost uncontrollable slide through the treacherous snow drifts. His boots lost their purchase suddenly, sending his axe flying out of his hands and pitching him face first into the snow. With a muted groan, he lifted his head and rubbed at his lower lip, which he had bitten in the fall.

“Shit!” Jou grunted as he tried to pull himself up. He could not. His legs were not his own anymore. They now belonged to _ them _ .

Hands roughly grabbed at the leg of his jeans, rooting that extremity in place despite his best efforts to pull away. He yanked and tugged at his leg, but still, the undead’s grip did not falter. Dammit. They were strong, stronger than he remembered them being! He propped himself up on his elbows and looked back at his captor.

Well, captors.

The zombie with the vice grip was flanked by three other zombies, reaching down to grapple for their next meal. Which, in this case, was him.

Fuck. 

He needed to shake himself loose.

Now.

“Fuck right off, ya bastards!”

The moans from behind him grew as a second hand encased his free leg. Adrenaline spiked. Jou’s writhes and thrashes grew more and more desperate. Amongst his panic, he saw his axe half buried in the snow just beyond his reach. He tried anyways. Shit, too far. Dammit.

His bare fingernails dug into the snow fruitlessly as he continued to try to drag himself forward towards his weapon. His arms flailing in the loose snow were no match for the extra set of nearly skeletonized hands that were firmly rooted in his clothing. Those hands started to oppose with a pull of their own. He felt himself start to slide back, dragged on his stomach towards hungry and infectious jaws. Jou let out yell and a string of curses as he redoubled his efforts to pull away, trying to kick his assailants. Shit, shit, shit.

Jou stopped his onslaught as he caught a glimpse of hands grabbing his axe.

“I’ve got you!” He heard Yugi’s voice call out to him, as the weapon was pulled out of the snow. Boots kicked up snow with urgency as Yugi neared the fray with his axe.

The once almost rhythmic chorus of zombie groans grew to a cacophony of screeches and guttural noises coloured by pain that Jou felt absolutely no sympathy towards. Through his panic, he felt the right leg of his pants grow warm and sticky. He raised his head to see a severed hand still gripping his jeans, the truncated forearm laying just centimeters away oozing tar like blood. Suppressing a screech of his own, he shook off the appendages and scrambled to his feet.

His companion stood stooped and panting between him and the four dispatched zombies. The axe in his hand was held limply at his side, dripping with at least four different kinds of bodily fluids. Jou stared blankly on at the carnage. Yugi had just saved him. It was truly an impressive feat for such a little man.

“That’s what you get… for coming after… my friend.”

The words, punctuated by ragged breaths, spoken towards deadened ears shook Jou to his core. ‘My friend?’ The small spark of gratitude that had ignited within him became a full blown shock. Really? They had just met, and yet, Yugi … thought of him as a friend?

Yugi turned around to face him, a weary, yet satisfied smile pulling at his blood splattered and bruised face. “Are you ok?”

“Uh, yeah… thanks back there,” Jou responded, the words heavy on his tongue.

“No problem!” Yugi grinned at him reassuringly, crossing over to offer Jou back his axe. He gratefully accepted it back, the worn wooden handle truly a comfort in his palm. 

“Now before the rest decide to follow us, let’s get going!” Yugi prompted.

Jou could not agree more.

Yugi jogged back through the snow to where he had tossed his pack and slung it over his shoulder. The groans of the remaining struggling zombies grew, a chilling harbinger of the danger that loomed should they wait here any longer. They had no time to waste. Jou motioned to Yugi to pass by him with a courteous sweep of his arm, and the two friends set off in the direction of Yugi’s base.

Their feet carried them through the forest and across a few abandoned roads over the course of the day and evening. Despite Yugi’s reassurances that they were heading in the right direction, Jou was still dubious of Yugi’s navigational skills. Finally just before sunset, a landmark loomed on the horizon that signalled their success. A hill. Actually, the hill where Yugi had snuck up on him five nights ago. The hill where this strange journey began.

“See, I told you we were going in the right direction.” Yugi grinned at Jou’s near instant relaxation upon seeing the hill.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re good, buddy.” Jou smiled and shook his head. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yugi’s smile widen too.

It was good to have a friend.

***

Bakura’s plan was simple, but both he and Mai had to be coordinated if they wanted to make it out in one piece, which, honestly, was the most crucial part of the whole thing really. They would have to avoid bites at all costs, although, they would not come out of this unscathed. Realistically, they would probably still end up with scratches and bruises. Zombies were not known for using weapons, but he had seen a few of them carrying branches once in a while, proving that some might be smarter than others.

The tricky thing about the bomb was that he could not just toss it or the connections might break and the whole thing could fail to blow. It needed to be planted. Mai stood up next to Bakura as he carefully unscrewed the panel they had meticulously placed on their entry point earlier this morning. He would have to be quick about what he needed to do, which was, plant the bomb and press the timer to set it off.

He peeled off the panel and immediately, a decayed hand tried to reach inside. Mai chopped it off, black tar-like blood spilling onto the ground. Bakura started the timer, dropped the bomb as delicately as he could on the other side of the door and did not even take the time to put the panel back in place. He and the blonde ran to take their position behind the bar counter, the safest place to be when the whole façade of the building would blow up on them. He had set the timer for thirty seconds, both a very short time to get to safety but simultaneously a very long time to wait for an explosion when faced with such a dire situation.

When the explosion happened, he focused on the sensation of his crowbar in his healthy hand, the cold metal imprinting itself into his palm as he curled his fingers around it tightly. Mai held her shotgun close to her, her head down to avoid flying debris. Chunks of splintered wood, bricks, glass and other material flew all around them, and Bakura felt his ears ringing even with the protective ear plugs they had shoved into their ears. He knew he needed to act fast to keep their momentum, so he got to his feet quickly, the blonde following suit all the while aiming her gun at the large opening they had just created in the storefront.

Their eyes and noses were assaulted by sensations he wished to never see or smell again. The ground that had been recently covered with freshly fallen snow was now tainted by the thick zombie blood gushing out of the corpses that had been hit by the explosion. The closest ones to them could barely be considered bodies anymore. Their guts and limbs were strewn wildly and layered chaotically everywhere around them. He could see they had managed to reach quite a bunch of the enemies waiting for them, but a cloud of dust lingered in the air and made it difficult for him to assess just how many more were hiding in the shadows, waiting for their next juicy meal.

He glanced at Mai sideways and she did the same. They both nodded at the same time before rushing straight ahead, trying to stay as close to each other as they could. Some could say it was completely foolish of them to run towards their enemy like that, with dust impairing their vision and the explosion still rendering their hearing useless, on top of the injuries they were both already suffering from. However, it was crazy how adrenaline and the need to survive through this could make humans feel like superheroes. 

He heard the first shot followed by a splashing and gurgling noise, and immediately noticed the other assailants swarming around them. He aimed for the heads, using all the strength in his one good arm to crack skulls and push back the bodies swarming them. He tried to make sure Mai was not too far away in case she needed help, as they had planned. They needed each other to get out of there alive, and they sure as hell knew that.

The blonde had quickly put her gun away and taken out her machete, a far more efficient weapon for close combat. They kept their backs to each other, marching over the bodies of their victims. In the midst of the fray, a thought crossed Bakura’s mind for a second. Months ago, it would have been every man for himself had it not been for their tightly knit group, but now, it was different. He had saved Mai the day before without any regrets, and here he was, working with her like she was part of his team.

Yugi would have commented on that for sure.

But soon, they found themselves surrounded, and had to enact phase two of their plan. The woman passed him two glass bottles, and kept the others. He quickly lit the rags tucked in the openings and passed the lighter to her as she proceeded to do the same. 

“Let’s light them up.” Mai chuckled, hefting the make-shift incendiary device in her hand.

They did. He watched in slow motion as the four bottles they launched flew over the crowd of rotting bodies crawling their way to them and shattered in a symphony of shrieks. Flames ignited the hardwood floor, licking at what was left of the zombies’ tattered clothing, turning the undead into torches that fell to the ground like flies.

A circle of fire had suddenly formed around them, the cold weather and the snow doing very little to extinguish it. It was a risky maneuver to use Molotov cocktails while they were in this particular position, but it was also the only way to create holes in the crowd of zombies trapping them and make a nearly insurmountable obstacle for the rest of the zombies approaching. It unfortunately also served as an obstacle impeding their escape too. They would literally have to walk through that fire to escape the town. However, being burned seemed of little consequence compared to being bitten.

They both noticed the same opening, with only a few staggering undead blocking the way, but probably easily taken down in their shaken state. They made a break for it, slashing and smashing their way out of the ring of fire. Bakura could feel the heat slithering through the layers of his clothes and the smoke burning his eyes, but he kept going through, focused on fighting off the bodies launching themselves at himself and Mai.

And suddenly they were out. Scratched with soot dusted hair and faces, black disgusting goo splattered on their clothes and hands. It did not matter. They were both alive and both unbitten.

“Holy shit…” he breathed out.

The realisation tore a nervous laugh out of him as he kept jogging away from the turmoil they had just survived. It seemed to have the same effect on Mai who alternated between harsh breaths and bursts of uncontrolled giggles.

They did not stop running, using the adrenaline as a boost of energy to get as far away from the city as they could. They tore towards the woods that would offer them cover and hiding spots in case some of those zombies would have the smarts to actually follow them after that. They were almost out of the streets and into the trees when he heard Mai’s exclamation next to him.

“Jesus fucking Christ!”

He had barely turned around when he saw a body collide into her as she fell to the ground harshly, a sickening crack echoing in his still ringing ears. He immediately kicked the decrepit head with the mouth heading for her face, his steel toed boot denting its skull, brain matter spurting out onto the snow right next to her head. Mai pulled herself out from under the body, unleashing a sharp cry of pain as she tried to put weight on her left arm. She lifted her gaze to his and was about to thank him, but her eyes told him another message.

He spun on his heels, but not fast enough to avoid the zombie lunging at him. It looked like this particular one had tumbled down a hill and got impaled by every branch on its way down, giving him an all new monstrous aspect. Bakura managed to kneel instead of fall, but that lethal mouth downed on his arm with the appetite of a starved predator.

Mai appeared behind the body, her machete reaching right across the neck and severing the head from the rest of the body in one smooth motion, blood spilling generously from the now open throat. The flow of blood created a very distinctive splash across his face, the slimy sensation thick on his nose and cheeks. His eyes darted to the side, checking to see if they had to defend themselves against any other assailants, but it seemed like there had only been two stray undead which were now taken care of.

His gaze went back to Mai’s bent over silhouette, her hand holding her machete dripping with black goo, but what really caught his attention was the way her other arm seemed to have a very unnatural angle, just dangling at her side. She was breathing heavy, her blonde hair rustled and ashes scattered on top of it.

“Shit, your arm,” he said.

“Shit, your leg,” she replied with a slight nod to him.

He looked down and he briefly wondered how he had not registered the certain wound he had been inflicted. Right in the side of his thigh was a sharp long branch sticking out through his flesh. The ending was coated with black blood, making him realise that while he was focused on escaping the deadly bite of his attacker, one of the branches stuck to his corpse must have stabbed him.

Before he could do anything, they needed to get to the safety of the trees in case any other undead decided to follow them. Mai helped him up with her one good hand and they stumbled until they found a large tree stump and slid down behind it, using it as an effective cover to assess their wounds. Bakura knew he needed to tend to his leg. His first reaction was to try and pull out the branch, but he knew better. He had seen Yugi comment during so many movies how stupid it was to just pull something out of your flesh without thinking or having the right equipment around first. By removing the object, any vessels damaged could now bleed freely and the person could exsanguinate. 

He braced himself, starting to actually feel the pain in his leg. While trying to move the branch as little as he could, he snapped it so it was as short as it could be. He had to bite his lip to hold back a groan of pain as he did, but he was successful, which was all he could hope for at the moment.

Yugi would be so pissed at him. First the shot through the shoulder, now the leg injury. He sure was making quite a mess of himself. The hand he ran through his hair told him that not only was it sticky from his own blood, but a few ends had burned from being too close to the fire, giving them a gritty texture.

He secured a rag around the branch and used duct tape to immobilize it until he could get a proper look at it and clean it accordingly. Hopefully he could find a branch long and strong enough to help him support the weight of his leg. He sighed, knowing this would once again slow them down like the snow did.

Mai had dropped next to him, but had only managed to open her bag and get out her own roll of tape. She had tore the edge off with her teeth and impressively and successfully wrapped her ankle with a few layers in an attempt to brace it. He did not see her falter during their escape, but it could have already been weakened earlier by a slip on the snow, he could not tell. However, he could tell by now her elbow had popped out of its socket, and that was something he could help with, although he was not sure she would let him.

He shifted his sitting position and grabbed her arm as delicately as he could. She stopped what she was doing and eyed him suspiciously. “What are you doing?”

If he was to do this, he needed to do it both quickly, and without her really noticing what he was about to do, or else, she would pull her arm away and refuse his help at all. So he tried to be cryptic, but efficient about it. “Do you trust me?”

Her answer was not as immediate as he would have thought, but it dripped of worry. “No!”

He smiled to keep her eyes on his face, not on her arm. “Good answer.” He slapped a hand on her mouth and with a hard snap, he pushed her bones right back into their rightful position. Her cry of pain was muffled by his glove, but it was done.

“Son of a bitch!” she hissed as soon as he let go of her.

He shrugged as he let his head fall back against the log behind them. “Have to agree with you on that one. Never really liked my mom.”

She took a few deep breaths and eventually rested her head next to his. “Now what?”

He turned his head to face her. “We’ve got to keep going and put up some distance between us and that town.”

She nodded and glanced his way. “The sun’s going to set in about two hours. We should find cover too and get some rest.”

He reached for his pack, making sure everything was stowed again and ready to go. He looked around and spotted a branch he could use as a makeshift crutch until he found another one better suited for the job. “Yeah, traveling by night in our conditions would be plain stupid.”

She smirked as she got up, testing the pressure on her ankle, making sure her taping job was solid, but not impairing. “And like you said, we’re reckless, not stupid.”

He used his stick to stand up, but she was right there, making sure he did not fall back down. He did not thank her, they were past that point he realised. “You gotta admit though, that was quite a spectacular escape,” he said with amusement.

She laughed wholeheartedly and poked him in the ribs before starting to walk. “Shut up and walk, cripple!” 

He stifled a short laugh as he fell into step with her. Every muscle in his body screamed for a break, the tangible pain in his leg and shoulder almost making him wince for the first few steps. But it was nothing.

Nothing compared to the prospect of tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he would be fine.

Tomorrow, he would see Yugi.

Tomorrow.


	8. Last day without you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _The monster underneath_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey lovely readers, Aurora here!
> 
> So this is the end of our journey together, and boy what a ride it has been! It was almost sad for me and Pants to finish writing and editing this thing, but we did realise we want to make many more of these collabs in the future. The Hivemind Productions will be back <3
> 
> Now, about this particular story: Counting the Days was supposed to be much shorter than that when we started thinking about it, something very simple about characters in a zombie apocalypse. And because things never go according to plan when it comes to the both of us, it turned into this multichap about monsters. You've read the previous chapters and you've guessed by now that we are not only refering to the undead when we talk about monsters. It was the main theme of this story, some sort of psychological thriller filled with angst, but also hope.  
> It was our baby for the last month and a half, we spent everyday building it, and we are so glad you were along for the ride.
> 
> We'd also like to share a short playlist that inspired us as we wrote this. I'm always deeply inspired by music and these songs either by lyrics or melody stuck with us as we dove into this adventure.  
>   
> Playlist for Counting the Days  
>  _Counting the days - Goldfinger  
>  If the world was ending - Julia Michaels, JP Saxe  
> The man who made a monster - Dance with the Dead  
> Everybody wants to rule the world - Lorde  
> These streets – Lazerhawk  
> Playing with fire – Sam Tinnesz  
> Night Driving Avenger – Perturbator  
> Monster – Paramore_
> 
> So it is with great pleasure and honour that we give you the last day of Counting the Days.
> 
> With love, Pants and Aurora

Morning could not have come early enough for Bakura. He had trouble sleeping and relaxing, but it was not because of his many injuries as one would have suspected. His shoulder and leg hurt like hell for sure, and even if he had disinfected them with the available material he had, he would have to clean it again as soon as he made it back to the base. Thankfully, all in all, but the pain was minimal in comparison to the other sensations invading him.

It had taken him seven days.

Seven days to realise his feelings.

Seven days to sort them out.

Seven days to know how to reply to Yugi’s parting words.

_ “Just… I love you, okay?” _

Fuck the saying about distance makes the heart grow fonder. It was never about distance. It was merely about just letting go and accepting the fact that Yugi had always been there. He would push just enough to not be forgotten, yet he would continue to wait oh so patiently for the day Bakura would realise the one truth underpinning all of this: that Yugi would always, always be there for him. The real him.

And that he loved him.

Not the image he was projecting. Not the basket case nor the nut job.

The human behind the monster.

The monster that, in fact, he was never really to begin with.

“Damn. Everything hurts. Am I dead yet?” a voice resonated next to him.

Mai and him had completely forgone the idea of tying themselves to trees last night. Their injuries and general state of exhaustion would not allow them to do so. Her arm was still weak and his leg would have made it absolutely impossible for him to climb up any tree at that point. They had kept on waking at least a good hour to put distance between themselves and the burning town behind them, and fortunately for them, no undead had followed suit after those two stragglers they had encountered at the city limits.

Even in their weakened state, they had managed to build themselves some sort of igloo out of the snow and branches, hiding under layers of white and dirt to avoid suspicions. The closed cold space around them would also provide cover from their scent if zombies were close by. They had decided to split their rest, one of them awake at all times and switching every two hours or so, to make sure they stayed safe and sound until morning.

At this point, both Bakura's diabetes and injuries had weakened him to a state he had never felt before. He knew Yugi had insulin for him, but honestly, the only thing he wanted was to be back at their hideout, waiting for the squirt to show up, hopefully in better shape than he was. 

He just wanted Yugi to be back.

He just wanted Yugi to be alive.

He just wanted Yugi to be with him.

“No, you’re not dead. Feel that pain?” Bakura turned around, large bags under his eyes from his eventful week, and his very few hours of rest. “Yeah, we’re both very much alive.”

She chuckled briefly, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. If they had looked like a mess yesterday, today, they were obviously worse for wear. He needed a good combination of a clean-up, some real sleep and a meal, something more substantial than sports drinks, which he had been gulping to stay hydrated for the past few days. He had not eaten anything after that last try days ago when everything had come back up, as expected.

Mai quickly packed up her stuff, shivering from the cold early morning air coming through the opening of their excuse of an igloo. “How far away from your meeting point are we, you’d say?”

Bakura tightened the starry scarf he had been holding onto all night long around his neck. He swore there was a lingering sweet aroma to it, a scent he had begun to associate with Yugi and only him. “Since we’re avoiding the city, I’d say we should be there by this afternoon. It might be a slow process viewing as we’re both in a shitty state, but we’ll get there.”

They had to.

He did not want to know how Yugi would react if he was not there when he got back.

The squirt had already done something incredibly stupid.

Who was to say he would not do it again?

And Bakura knew he would. Yugi would move heaven and earth to find him. Like he had probably moved heaven and earth to find his insulin.

And now, Bakura knew for certain he would do the same.

After all, had not he done something equally as stupid by trying to chase after Yugi for this whole week? They were both so dumb. So dumb for each other.

He groaned as he realised just how juvenile it all made him sound in his head. He got to his feet slowly, using the branch he had selected as a cane and waited for Mai to join him outside. The morning air was light for once, as the sun peaked out between the naked trees around them, making the fallen snow sparkle like fairy dust.

The immaculate white was a stark contrast against their appearance, unfitting with how they both looked and felt after what they had been through over the last few days. But it also felt deserving, like this was their reward for almost being done with this fucking insane journey. He glanced back at his blonde traveling companion and she smiled at him, like if she was feeling the exact same thing.

They had a good thing going, him and her, so he felt he could push it a bit more after all they had overcome together. “Did you want to go back for another round of rumble with the undead?” he asked, head nodding back in the direction of the town they had escaped yesterday.

She rolled her eyes while replacing her pack on her back. “Nope, got my fair share of that shit for the next few weeks at least. You?” she smirked back at him.

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Fuck it, just wanted to be polite and check if you had enough action for the week.”

She passed next to him and motioned for him to hurry up. “You’re wasting time, honey. Your beau’s waiting.”

He picked up the pace as much as his leg enabled him to, giving a swift but soft hit to her with his improvised cane. “Shut up.”

She playfully poked his cheek like an annoying kid. “I’m sure he’ll be just as happy to see you as you’ll be.”

A few weeks ago, he would have laughed and ignored these words, probably even punching anyone who had dared make any assumptions as to what he and Yugi were to each other. But not anymore. Mai had somehow found herself aware of their situation, and although he would have told her to fuck off no more than two days ago, their banter had switched to something more truthful, like if finally, he was ready to let his guard down for real.

Stupid Yugi for making him soft.

However, there was still some minute hesitation in his tone as he replied to her. “You don’t know that.”

He felt her hand on his shoulder, and, as if she knew that this was borderline pushing it with him, she left it there for only a second before retracting it. “Honey, if he’s willing to walk through hordes of undead for you, he’s just as smitten as you are.”

He chuckled, but inside, he was beaming like a teenage idiot. “I remember saying shut up just a few seconds ago.”

Her laugh was clear and loud in the quiet morning air. “Oh, I know. Those words rarely work on me.”

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, their footsteps and occasional own painful grunts being the only sounds filling the space. The snow had softened a bit, the temperature barely above zero, but it was enough for it to make it more tender under their boots than it had been yesterday. There was a scent in the air as clouds formed over their heads, one that could only be associated with another upcoming snowfall. However, unlike the blizzard that they had faced before, this was bound to be lighter, like the first snow you wait for in December, the one that reminds you of childhood Christmases.

Mai felt the need to converse again as they reached the outskirts of Domino city, Bakura happily noticing they were making good time despite their respective injuries. “While I got you in a cooperative and talking mood… Wanna tell me more about that base of yours?”

Bakura nodded absentmindedly. “We found an abandoned power plant outside Domino.”

The blonde next to him whistled, seemingly quite impressed. “Holy hell, how did you manage to grab that, you lucky bastards?!”

He remembered how lucky they had indeed felt when they had managed to secure such a spot. They had decided to head towards this direction in the hopes of making it to a small town, replenishing their dwindling supplies at the time. Ryou had suggested they make a stop there and raid the place for tools, weapons and materials that could be useful to them. They had not expected it to be empty and usable as a base.

But it had been completely empty except for a few rotting bodies they had gotten rid of quickly. They had worked weeks at making this their new home, the perfect spot away from the city, but within venturing distance of other places. Those weeks had almost been peaceful, probably too peaceful when he thought back to the events that had followed shortly. Chaos had caught up with them and disturbed their new balance.

He and Yugi had spent days not knowing what to do with themselves following the death of both Ryou and Anzu previously. But they had come out of it, they had managed to pull themselves out of their funk, knowing they had to survive, if not for themselves, then for the two that had sacrificed themselves so they could live.

He gave the short version of that back to Mai. “Well, it had been overrun by zombies at some point, and there was literally nothing else around it. People don’t usually venture too far away from cities and towns. They want to stay close to supplies.”

She cocked her head to the side. “And you did not?”

He explained their reasoning a bit further. “We organized frequent supplies runs. My brother’s girlfriends had studied maps of the area, she was into urbanism as a college graduate.”

Mai jogged ahead of him and turned to face him, stopping him for a moment. “So what you’re saying is that you have a secured base filled with stuff?”

He huffed half-annoyingly. “Yup. And you’ve officially received an invitation into it. If you still want one.”

She fisted the air in victory. “I knew I had a good reason to tolerate your insufferable personality.”

He started walking again past her. “And it’s been revoked.”

She caught up with him, a bright smirk on her face. “Too late for that, hun!”

He facepalmed internally. He had a feeling Yugi would like her. Yeah, he definitely would like her.

***

The sun was rising just as their boots hit the road once again. Although this morning was decidedly different from the other mornings that he had encountered over the last week. After yesterday’s close call, it was a relief to have a quiet and almost restful night. They had both started dismantling their hammocks much earlier than they had to, spurred on by an unspoken excitement that charged the air. It had been a long and arduous journey, but finally, all of their hard work was about to pay off. They were reaching their end. Their deserved rest. And for one of them, a reunion.

What a reunion that would be.

Jou hid his smirk as he stole a glance back at his traveling partner. The tricolored haired man was humming a cheery tune to himself as he rearranged the contents of his pack. Despite the dried blood that caked his face and neck, he looked better than Jou had ever seen him look. That small spark of hope that he had seen ignite behind Yugi’s gaze before was shining front and center, its light nearly so bright that it would have blinded Jou if it had been an actual light. Jou could not blame him. He was sure that he would be wearing a similar look if he was about to reunite with Mai. Instead, a small seed of worry had taken up in Jou’s chest any time he thought of his own reunion.

They were only supposed to split for a few days, and that time frame had definitely come and gone. There was no way that Mai would still be lingering around their rendezvous point several days after their agreed date. She was not that stupid. Staying in an exposed place for too long only got you into trouble. Should anyone catch wind of your stagnancy, you could become prime pickings for muggers and monsters alike. She would have surely moved on to bigger and better things. Although, this begged the question: how long would it take to find her again?

If he ever did.

“Come on, Jou. We need to get moving!”

The almost insistent prod broke though the horrifying spiral that Jou was getting pulled into. He shook his head roughly as if to dislodge the thoughts. He could not do this now. He would find Mai. First things first, he needed to help his new friend get back to where he needed to be, then he would start his search for his missing partner.

Jou put on his most reassuring grin and beamed at Yugi. “Ah, right. Time for ya to get reunited, huh lover boy? Which direction were we headin’ in again?”

Yugi rubbed at his temple in exasperation at the jab, but the small smile partially obscured by his hand betrayed his amusement. “I’m not a lover… ah, why do I even try? You’re not going to listen to me anyways.”

“So ya admit it then!” Jou laughed. “You’re smitten!”

The blush that formed on Yugi’s cheeks was downright adorable. For a moment, Jou thought Yugi was going to deny the title again, but to his surprise, he said something else. “Uh, well, maybe… but that’s beside the point! My feelings are nowhere near as important as his insulin right now. Hurry, we need to leave.”

Jou had to agree, even though that fact was clearly offered as a deflection. This dork. Having already gotten what he wanted out of their conversation, he made a show of going to grab his bag to respect Yugi’s wishes. Before he could swing it across his shoulder, he could not help but take one last jab.

“Please tell me this base has a few different rooms. Wouldn’t wanna spoil your reunion,” Jou said with a knowing wink.

“Jou!”

The snowflakes continued to fall, adding to the already treacherous loosely packed snow underfoot, but the two travelers still made good time. By early afternoon, the forest parted into a clearing where a large concrete building stood.

Off to the side, a large high voltage power pole loomed, its steel beams fashioned into a multitude of sturdy triangles as it reached towards the overcast sky. Several other identical power poles were situated around the building, their lines all coming together in a complex array as they entered into the cordoned off power plant. There were two layers of tall chain link fences topped with coils of barbed wire that lined the circumference of the plant. Although the fence’s initial purpose was to keep people safe from the hazards of an active power plant, it now served a new and incredibly advantageous purpose. It was a harsh deterrent for anyone trying to strike the plant.

The largest building behind the fence was almost featureless and fashioned out of solid, weathered concrete. Wires were seen exiting the building, running complex courses to their destinations. Only a few windows were seen dotting its surface.

It was absolutely perfect.

“Ya guys are so lucky you were able to snag this!” Jou punched Yugi’s shoulder, stars filling his eyes. “It’s sweet!”

“Yeah, it is,” Yugi replied, a faint note of pride in his voice. “It’s served us well, for sure. Let’s go in.”

***

By the time they made it through the trees leading to the base, the snow had started falling oh so softly from the sky, fluffy snowflakes holding on their hair and damping the top of their clothes. Somehow, it felt soothing, like a balm after all the violence of the past few days. The calm and subdued atmosphere that came with this type of temperature was unlike anything they had faced over the week.

“Shit, can I be in awe? ‘Cause I’m definitely in awe!”

The hard ridges of concrete enclosing their safe quarters peeked from behind the trees, a few pines still very green guarding the base. Bakura smiled. They had made it. Officially made it and officially survived.

This, however, brought a sudden doubt inside his mind. Had Yugi survived too?

No, he could not allow himself to think like that. Yugi had been alive two days ago, he had found insulin it seemed, and escaped with an ally too. He had to be alive. He just had to.

“Welcome to our humble home,” Bakura gestured to the abandoned power plant stretching out in front of them.

The snow made it look so different from when he had left a week ago. That day, he was not even sure if he would ever make it back at all. Nothing seemed out of place, exactly as he had left it, the lock still in place, completely untouched. The cold weather must have helped the fact that people would stay closer to cities and avoid venturing deeper into the woods.

But it also felt as empty as he had left it.

A loud obnoxious voice rang straight to his ears, coming from just past the treeline.

“It’s sweet!”

He turned around and he felt time standing still for a moment.

The orange shade of the humongous pompom on top of Yugi’s toque stood out like a neon light against the white and mostly brown background. Both of his hands were wrapped around the straps of his backpack, giving him a schoolboy attitude as he smiled at his new traveling companion. But Bakura could not care less about the other man next to him. He only had eyes for Yugi.

Yugi, whose eyes suddenly landed on him as he turned to face their base.

Yugi who stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed him.

Yugi who then started jogging his way, his boots gripping against the snow.

Yugi who was simultaneously smiling and crying and sniffing.

Yugi who was alive.

Bakura dropped his backpack and started closing the distance between him and the squirt, still using his branch to help himself, his pride only slightly hurt by the fact that he could not hide his limp. He could not help the smile that threatened to form on his lips so he let it out completely.

Yugi stopped jogging a few feet away from him and eyed him from head to toe. A frown appeared on his face, and like a mother to a naughty child, he started patronizing Bakura, almost as if they had not been away from each other for that whole week. He peeled his backpack off, already unzipping it as if he could not wait to get whatever was in it out quickly enough.

The words came tumbling out of his mouth like a waterfall. “What? How? You were supposed to wait for me! I told you to wait for me! What happened? How did-?”

Bakura closed the gap between them in a few steps, dropping his cane in favor of reaching with both hands towards Yugi’s face. Yugi who was still so focused on his pack that he had yet to offer those gorgeous purple eyes Bakura was dying by now to dive into.

Finally Yugi dropped his backpack to the side, a syringe flying out and Bakura catching it before it fell to the ground. He quickly pocketed it, discarding it. Yugi took notice of the wound in his leg. “Holy shit, you got something stuck there. And your shoulder, what the-“

Pale dirty hands cradled the alarmed face and directed amethysts to gaze right into chocolate orbs waiting for them. Yugi stopped talking, maybe even stopped breathing, and the other man could not stand the distance anymore.

He dove down, pressing his lips against Yugi’s trying to convey every single emotion he had felt over the last few days.

Heck, who was he kidding? Over the last few years would be more appropriate.

He did not stay there long when he noticed the lack of reaction from his companion. However, when he pulled barely a few inches away, he could see the irises staring back at him switching from total confusion to a flood of affection instantly. Small and shy hands climbed their way up his stained hoodie before they curled around the crimson fabric, holding on to him shakily.

There was a whisper mixed in with a breath. “Could you…?”

Yugi did not finish his thought, but Bakura had learned to read him well over the years, and this time, instead of brushing him off, he would surely do as he asked. “Gladly.”

Their lips met again, but this time, Yugi’s pushed back against him, and it was everything.

There was absolutely nothing else that mattered.

Not the snow falling on them in large puffy flakes.

Not the injuries they had sustained from their journey.

Not the pain from the loss of their friends and family.

Not the way Jou whistled behind Yugi with a loud “Yeah, get ‘im, lover boy!”

Nothing but the two of them and this kiss.

When he pulled away again, this time, he smiled and it was instantly mirrored back to him. He kept his forehead resting on the shorter man’s, desiring closeness much more than he had ever felt before.

“Hi,” he whispered as if speaking louder would disrupt the moment.

Yugi’s hands met the ones of his cheeks. “Hi.”

Up close, Bakura could see even clearer now how tired and bruised his companion was. He could not help but voice it. “You look like hell.”

A soft laugh came from the lips inches from his. “Look who’s talking.”

As if he suddenly remembered both of their conditions, Yugi pushed back reluctantly to assess the damage of the white-haired man’s body. His fingers tenderly brushed a few bangs back, noticing the head wound and wincing at it. “But seriously, are you okay?”

For a moment, he mentally processed the intent of all his injuries. Over the past few days, he had been pushed and thrown around. He had been hit, choked, shot, and stabbed. But he had survived it all. And he would keep surviving it all if it meant he could be with Yugi now through all that.

He thought about how the smile that appeared on his face was the most genuine he had ever shown. He unwrapped the starry scarf from around his neck before draping across Yugi’s, keeping him as close to him as he could. “I am now.”

Yugi puffed his cheeks in feigned annoyance, but he could not hide the blush that radiated from him, displaying his honest affection. “You big sap.”

Bakura meant to say ‘fuck you’. He really did. But what came out was closer to the truth he felt. It was overwhelming, but he welcomed it with an open heart for the first time ever in his life. It just felt right, so right. And so overdue it suddenly seemed. “Only for you.”

Their bubble of happiness popped suddenly when Jou arrived next to him and noticed the fourth figure closer to the bunker who had been almost hidden by the shadows of a pine tree.

“Boss?!”

Yugi seemed to perk up at that information and Bakura eyed Jou suspiciously. “Who the fuck are you?”

The shorter man next to him smiled and motionned at his traveling companion to come closer, but this one only had eyes for the blonde that had accompanied Bakura over the last few days.

Jou just kept staring, his eyes getting slightly teary and a relieved smile traced his lips. “That’s my girl. That’s my Mai, Yuge.”

Bakura pulled away only slightly, making sure to keep a physical connection between him and Yugi. It was almost like he needed it to stay grounded into this reality. Now that it had happened, he just could not let go.

And there was something.

Something suddenly so terribly off.

“Your girl?” he said, looking at the newcomer from Yugi’s side.

He then turned around to face Mai whose neutral expression did nothing to alleviate his uneasiness. He voiced out his worry. “You told me your partner was dead.”

Jou took a few steps towards Mai, his whole demeanour absolutely confused for a moment. “What would you tell him I was dead? I just-”

It seemed that Yugi shared Bakura's concern. Although his front stayed strong, the hand that grabbed the white-haired man’s was trembling. He did not know how the smaller man managed to keep his voice calm and level. “What the hell is going on?” Yugi asked.

Bakura’s apprehension of the situation turned immediately into alarm when Mai produced a very familiar tacky golden Desert Eagle from her coat pocket and aimed it right towards him and Yugi. “Oh honey, I’ve told you a lot of things, haven’t I?”

He did not let go of Yugi’s hand, but he did push the other behind him protectively. He could sense the reluctance permeating through the smaller man’s body as he fought to stay beside him instead of getting behind him, but Bakura would not have any of it. He momentarily thanked the fact that Yugi must have been physically exhausted enough for him to comply, although unwillingly.

The blond man next to them still had not opened his mouth again, seemingly just as shocked by this whole turn of events as he was. Bakura risked a glance his way, and the emotions on his face were strong enough to make him feel for the poor man. Sure enough, there was shock and confusion, but his eyes betrayed his inner turmoil: a storm over which he had completely no control.

Mai kept going, offering a very brief explanation for her behaviour, none of which Bakura really cared about hearing. “You see, sometimes you have to lie to get what you want, and I’ve somewhat become an expert at saying just the right thing for people to help me out. You, Valon, anyone else if need be.”

“I fucking saved your ass,” he snarled at her.

The main emotion floating through him was not betrayal as much as it was despair. How could he have survived through the past few days only for this whole thing to turn around on him? On Yugi? On them?

The blonde woman kept her eyes on the two men, and carelessly dropped her own pack to the ground. “As I did yours. I needed you alive to show me to that base of yours.”

Her monstrous eyes then turned saccharine sweet when she looked at Jou. “See, hun, I found us a new home, a good secure one.”

With a loving and affectionate gesture, she motioned for him to join her, and Bakura watched in horror as he headed her way, almost like a kicked lovesick puppy. What had this woman done to him for him to follow her so blindlessly?

But he knew. He knew the look of a man in love, so in love with someone he was willing to do anything for them.

Even follow them into the darkness.

But the words that came out of Jou’s mouth made him realise that, underneath all of that, there was still a human being, not another monster yet. “Boss, we don’t have to do this.”

By now, he was close enough for Mai to grab his sleeve and pull him to her, her focus still on her two targets, never wavering. She snaked her arm around his waist and dropped her brief kiss on his cheek. “Oh, of course, we do. We’ve talked about it already. Sometimes, you gotta kill to survive.”

Jou was not looking at them. He was looking solely at Yugi, the shorter man’s head peaking right beside Bakura’s arm. There was something else now in them, a deep desire to protect he knew and understood. However, the battle between this sentiment and his attachment to the treacherous woman holding him was quite evident. “But they’re good people, Yugi’s offered to let us stay,” Jou replied.

Mai huffed humorlessly next to him. “The other idiot did too, but you’d think I’d trust them?” For the first time in the last few minutes, her eyes fell on her partner’s, although her weapon stayed trained on Yugi and Bakura.

Her venomous fond tone was back full swing.“Hun, it’s just you and me now. No one else. Just you and me.”

It only gave Bakura a second to act and he reached inside his coat pocket, his fingers finding the only object he might be able to use as a weapon.

Mai’s eyes were back on them and Jou still stood almost lifelessly next to her. Yugi, hopeful and somewhat foolish as always, just tried to get them out of this situation the only way he could think of at the moment. “Take the base. We’ll go. Just let us leave.”

Bakura knew Yugi’s suggestion was futile and useless. It was filled with the ever present hope the other seemed to possess, the hope that there could be good in every single human soul. But Bakura knew better, knew that hoping for a positive outcome in their situation was  _ hopeless _ .

Because he had seen the way a monster looks at its prey before it goes for the kill.

And the vacuous yet powerful way Mai was eying both of them right now fit the bill perfectly.

The two of them would not make it out of this alive.

But maybe, just maybe…

He had to act fast. He knew he would only have a few seconds, if barely that.

Yugi’s hand was still clutching his in a death grip. “Hey Squirt?” he whispered only for him to hear.

His only response was a tighter squeeze against his knuckles.

“Don’t miss.”

It was so eerie and strange how silent everything suddenly fell. The snow kept dropping from the clouds, uninterrupted, every other sound muffled by its presence. Everything but their rapid breathing, breath coming in short puffs of condensation.

He spun on his heels.

He dropped the needle he had managed to grab from Yugi’s pack into his partner’s hand.

He lifted his gaze.

He just wanted one more look into those violet eyes. Just one last look.

He knew there were no monsters under his bed or in his closet.

He had thought monsters were fictitious creatures from books or movies.

He had seen monsters hungry from blood and violence.

And he had realised the worst kind of monsters were human.

The very last thought that reverberated inside his mind as he stared down into the purple eyes he would forever miss, was how the world itself had turned into a monster. And that, in the end, he would not be able to protect Yugi from its atrocity anymore.

“I love-“

He did not hear the gunshot, deafened by the hammering sound of his own beating heart.

The monster’s mouth opened and swallowed him whole.

Time stopped. The shot reverberated through the still winter air as blood left the white haired man’s skull in a spray. The cascade of droplets fell onto the powder snow, a macabre, dirty spatter against a pure canvas. Dark chestnut eyes widened before they froze over, staring unseeingly ahead. Staring at the one thing that Jou knew mattered to him more than anything else left in this decrepit world.

Yugi.

Bakura’s body fell victim to atony as his nervous system sent its final signal. Yugi, although whole, succumbed to a similar fate.

Even though he did not know the guy, Jou felt like he had. Bakura was Yugi’s world. Ever present in their conversations despite never actually there. He stared at the corpse of his friend’s love face first in the snow…

Jou clapped a hand over his mouth, a wretch catching him suddenly. On leadened feet, he stumbled a few steps away and emptied the contents of his stomach. The heaves were so violent they brought tears to his eyes. Once the worst had passed, Jou looked back towards the scene.

Mai. His queen.

She had actually…? No.

Not his Mai. She would never.

Never.

Why…

Why?

“Jou, hun, stand up straight. This is no time to fuck around. I need your help,” Mai ordered evenly from where she stood at the head of the slain.

Another wave of acid reached the back of his throat and he fought the urge to vomit again. When he was able to compose himself enough, his response was nearly a croak. “What?”

Mai sniffed as she raised the barrel of the gun to affix firmly on Yugi. “Ask the little dork here about the base. You know, where the keys are? Are there any booby traps? We need to know this information before we get rid of him too, we can’t have ourselves blowing off a foot or something because we entered unprepared.”

Jou could not believe the words coming out of Mai’s mouth. Sure she was headstrong, sometimes stubborn and bossy. But these words… they were unlike her. The Mai he knew would never turn so quickly. Would never kill another human like this. His thoughts continued to agitate and swirl as he faced down the maw of the monster he never thought existed.

How could she?

“Come on, I don’t have all day,” Mai snipped.

He found himself unable to move, paralyzed by indecision. In the past, he had done so much for her. He had lied, stolen and stuck his own neck out all to help her get what she needed. She was his partner. His everything. His ride or die out here in the wilderness. She had never led him astray before.

So why was he questioning her plan now?

He knew that sometimes you had to strike first. Hurt or be hurt. Kill or be killed. But this was not one of those situations. These were not dire measures. They could have lived together, pooled their resources and found strength in their numbers. After the killing, however, that possibility was gone. Dead. As dead as the man laying in the snow, his shell shocked love sitting at his side in a pool of blood. Even if he wanted to, they could not go back.

Never. Not anymore.

Jou’s tongue felt like lead as he spoke the words his partner wanted. “Ya heard her. Tell me about the base, Yuge.”

Yugi slowly lifted his gaze from Bakura’s body to meet his. That look in those once hopeful eyes broke him.

The tears. The pain. That immense anguish that Yugi was feeling cut right through him, leaving his resolve in tatters. Jou reflexively took a step back from the man sitting in the snow, his head suddenly light and feet unsteady. The man he had just been through hell with. The man he had bonded with. The man who had saved him countless times.

His friend.

He could not do it.

Not to him.

“Jou, I won’t —”

“Actually Yuge, don’t answer. Ya don’t own me a thing.” Jou found himself saying. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mai’s eyes widen briefly. “Mai, babe, I can’t do it.”

“What do you mean you can’t do it?” The words were nearly shrill. “Get the information, hun, before I do it myself.”

“Ya heard me.” Jou looked up from his friend. “I can’t do this. We can’t kill him. He does not deserve this.” He did not know where the strength to reply with such emotion came from but he all but yelled his following words at her. “They did not deserve this!”

At the climax of Jou’s yell, a shot fired from the Desert Eagle and buried itself into the snow just beside Yugi’s knee. A sharp buzz resulted from the nearby discharge, and filled Jou’s ears momentarily.

“Shit, do I have to do everything around here?!” Mai made a show of keeping her voice calm, but her edge was poorly concealed. “Jou. We’re partners… but you’re choosing his side over mine?”

“No, it’s just —”

“It's just what Jou?!” Mai’s composure broke. She took a step forwards. “I can’t believe you right now!”

Jou’s confusion heightened, fear swirling with doubt and disbelief into a nauseating concoction. “Well, I can’t believe ya right now! What has gotten into ya? You just killed a man in cold blood!”

“I did what was necessary. For… us. Look, you’ve been traveling with the guy, but you know he was never loyal to you. He probably played you all along as well. They were never going to let us live.”

Jou did not think his eyes could go any wider, yet they somehow did. “So ya killed him before ya even knew that for sure?!”

“This is ridiculous. You’re ridiculous! I’ve had just about enough of you right now.” Mai shook, her leer hardened and monstrous, trained directly at Jou. “If you won’t pump him for information, then why don’t you kill him and we can be done with this?”

“K-kill him? Do ya hear how you sound?!”

“Jou, just do — ah, fuck!”

A blur of orange and black sprung up from the ground, colliding with Mai and pushing her back. The sudden impact caused her to stumble backwards onto the ground. As they fell, Jou heard a cry and caught a glimpse of a preloaded insulin syringe and needle gripped in Yugi’s fist. They both fell to the snow, Mai quickly pulling herself away from Yugi and back onto her feet with a snarl.

“You little fucker, you stuck me!” She hissed, pulling the needle that Yugi had embedded into her neck out with a swift tug. Her eyes flitted towards the improvised weapon. “And with a needle too? I hope that fucking thing was not used, so help me…”

“You killed him!” Yugi’s broken wail filled the cool afternoon air. “He— you traveled together! He would not have hurt you! He was not like that, he…”

His sobs became too much and drowned out his words.

“Fuck, you must be either naive or plain old stupid if you think that, honey.” Mai spat at Yugi, words vile and dripping with malice. “He probably would have turned on you too at some point. I know his type.”

“You don’t know the first things about him!” Yugi yelled back as he shifted onto his knees.

He stopped once he saw the gun swing back onto him.

“Hun,” Mai’s voice sent a chill down Jou’s spine. “It’s about time this runt died. Kill. Him. Now.”

Jou shook his head in shock. “Mai, I—”

A sudden shift resulted in something Jou had never thought he would see.

Her gun was now on him. She was aiming a gun  _ at him _ .

“He just tried to fucking kill me,” she screeched, before taking a deep breath and smiling deviously at him. “You wouldn't allow anyone to get away with hurting me, would you hun?.”

It was in that moment that he saw. He truly saw. Beneath that drive, that stubbornness and determination was something truly unexpected. Something dark. Something festering.

Something monstrous.

“Do. It. Now.”

Her clipped tone left no room for interpretation, her finger coming to rest on the trigger.

A beat. He could not believe it. She was really threatening to shoot. A thousand ideas swirled in a vortex, but all were wishful. He knew what he needed to do. What other choice did he have?

“Ok.”

Jou slowly went to grab the rifle that was strapped to his back, ensuring no sudden movements as he readied it to fire. He did as he was told, the gun barrel raising slowly towards Yugi.

“That’s good, hun.” Her praise was sickening as she trained. “Just do it, you can do this. Do it for me.”

Yugi turned slowly to face his assailant, amethyst eyes weary, yet steady.

Sure.

Calm.

Empathetic.

Forgiving.

It was as if Yugi had accepted his fate. Instead of groveling or pleading his case, he looked strangely at ease. His pain was surmounted by a quiet placidity that spoke of the living accepting of his own mortality.

Jou’s guilt flared. He did not deserve this kindness. Not after what happened here today. Not in the face of what was going to happen here today.

The barrel of the rifle shook.

Yugi’s gaze did not.

Jou’s resolve wavered.

Yugi’s quiet pardoning gaze did not.

Jou’s finger moved to the trigger.

Yugi sat still.

The monster roared. A shot was fired.

The world went dark.


End file.
